GPS students advance to regional spelling bee

Students from across Gilbert Public Schools competed Jan. 22 in the district spelling bee, narrowing the field through multiple rounds to determine the district’s top finishers.

Participants advanced to the district competition after progressing through classroom and school-level spelling bees.

At the district event, students completed four preliminary rounds to reduce the field to eight finalists. Seven additional rounds determined the top three finishers, with the championship decided in the 12th round.

The top eight finishers were:

• First place: Keilani Torbert, eighth grade, Gilbert Classical Academy;
• Second place: Tom Sollis, fifth grade, Meridian Elementary;
• Third place: Keira Algabre, fifth grade, Neely Traditional Academy;
• Fourth place: Josiah Randle-Wilkins, sixth grade, Canyon Rim Elementary;
• Fifth place: August Richards, seventh grade, Gilbert Accelerated Middle School;
• Sixth place: Brooke Grobels, eighth grade, South Valley Junior High;
• Seventh place: Stella Nabboud, eighth grade, Mesquite Junior High;
• Eighth place: Graham Geohagan, sixth grade, Burk Elementary.

All eight students will represent Gilbert Public Schools at the regional spelling bee in Queen Creek on Feb. 12.

Students prepared for the competition using grade-level word lists before advancing to school-level materials, including "Words of the Champions," a 4,000-word resource that emphasizes word origins, structure and meaning.

“The spelling bee is a powerful academic tradition that’s been part of schools for more than a century,” said Kelly Morgan, media specialist at Gilbert Elementary. “It’s not just about memorizing words. Our students learn how language works by studying word origins, meanings and patterns, and those skills support reading, writing and critical thinking far beyond the competition.”

Torbert, an eighth-grade student at Gilbert Classical Academy, said slowing down during the competition and using the information provided with each word helped her succeed.

She relied on definitions, word patterns and connections to roots and mythology to work through unfamiliar words.

Sollis, a fifth-grade student at Meridian Elementary and the competition’s runner-up, said consistent daily practice contributed to his performance. He studied for about 40 minutes each day using the Word Club app to build familiarity and confidence over time.