Middle School Spelling Bee 2026!

It was a hard-fought battle once more at the 2026 Middle School Spelling Bee, which took place on April 30, 2026. For this Green and Gold competition, spellers signed up ahead of time, Miss Moore provided the word list, and Mrs. McCandlish provided some epic sentences (examples below!). At the Bee, Mr. Davidson read the words for the spellers, and the Green/Gold captains kept score, then rewarded participants with a sweet treat as they were spelled out. An extra nod of thanks goes to Bill Johns and the theater tech crew, who got us set up and running smoothly.

In the end, it came down to an intense rematch between the 2025 winner, Sloka (8th), and 2025 runner-up, Syna (8th). This year, though, the roles reversed. On the word “epicurean,” meaning “fond of pleasure and luxury,” Syna took her third spelling bee medal, having previously won in 5th and 6th grades(!). Many congratulations to both Syna and Sloka for their exceptional spelling chops, and to all the brave participants who signed up and took the stage in front of their peers!

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Some of Mrs. McCandlish’s epic sentences:

Chia
Our Bob Ross chia pet lasted until the cat ate all the hair.

Hexagonal
I stared at the hexagonal sign in the aquarium and wondered if a six-legged octopus would be called a hexapus.

Tarantula
When conversing with a tarantula, it is important to look into their eyes; you have eight choices.

Tapioca
My mother makes tapioca pudding, and calls it frog egg pudding, much to my disgust.

Ottoman
“Mom! This new ottoman is negative aura and totally doesn’t fit my aesthetic!”

Quarantine
We need to quarantine my sister because her cringe levels have risen to maximum capacity.

Vacuum
Lucine didn’t mean to launch her sister into a space vacuum, but she had warned Zara to stay out of her lab.

Misconception
It is a misconception that grandmothers only buy butterscotch candy, because they actually hide the good chocolate where no child would think to look: the boxes of denture cream!

Sabbatical
Did you know that Mr. Davidson took a sabbatical just to grow a beard?

Widdershins
Never run widdershins round a church, or thou shalt find thyself in another dimension.

Quadrilateral
During the Geometry final I tried to remember what a quadrilateral shape looked like, but after four attempts I went at it from a different angle.