Congratulations to the 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee winner and two-time champ, Toan Do of Gen. Ray Davis Middle School, and to the runner-up, Roshan Suriraj of Edwards Middle School!
Medical words held center stage as the two middle schoolers went head to head in the final rounds of the 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee, held Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at Edwards Middle School. After Roshan stumbled on the word "cyanosis," Toan went on to correctly spell "regurgitate" and "retinol" to win the first place trophy.
This is Toan's second time as the RCPS Spelling Bee champion. He also won the district bee in 2020 as a Flat Shoals Elementary 5th grader.
Toan will advance to the next regional level Bee, with Roshan serving as the alternate.
A big round of applause for all our spellers at the district and school-level Spelling Bees! All the district Bee participants and their alternates were the top spellers at each of their schools.
This was the first time the district Spelling Bee had been back in-person since the pandemic.
The 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee announcer was Tara Thielke, RCPS Teacher of the Year Finalist and RCHS art teacher. This year's volunteer judges were Thomas Gray (RCPS L4GA Coordinator), Patrice Tealer (RCPS Literacy Coach), Tisa Smart-Washington (Rockdale County Tax Commissioner).
Thank you to all the hard-working organizers, parents, teachers, coordinators, coaches, family members, volunteers, and community supporters that make it possible for these students to achieve!
RCPS Spelling Bee 2023 Participants
(listed in their randomly drawn Spelling Bee order):
Asher Fuchs (HCE)
Oluma Achionye (SCE)
Jordan Hayward (SES)
Olivia Hardigree (JHH)
Lauryn Lundy (LES)
Roshan Suriraj (EMS)
Scarlett Rose (PSE)
Neftayet Duque Suazo (FSE)
Cameron Gresham (CJH)
Valerie Morales (PCE)
Wai Aung (CMS)
Brooklyn Matthews (BES)
Amari Clark (MMS)
Trent Carter (HTE)
Toan Do (DMS)
Pictured below on stage, left to right: Asher Fuchs (HCE), Oluma Achionye (SCE), Jordan Hayward (SES), Olivia Hardigree (JHH), Lauryn Lundy (LES), Roshan Suriraj (EMS), Scarlett Rose (PSE), Neftayet Duque Suazo (FSE), Cameron Gresham (CJH), Valerie Morales (PCE), Wai Aung (CMS), Brooklyn Matthews (BES), Amari Clark (MMS), Trent Carter (HTE), Toan Do (DMS).
Pictured below, left to right: 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee first place winner Toan Do of Gen. Ray Davis Middle School and runner-up Roshan Suriraj of Edwards Middle School.
Pictured below, left to right: 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee judges Thomas Gray (RCPS L4GA Grant Coordinator) and Patrice Tealer (RCPS Literacy Coach), Bee announcer Tara Thielke (RCPS Teacher of the Year Finalist and Rockdale County High Art Teacher), 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee Champion Toan Do (Gen. Ray Davis Middle, 8th grade) and Runner-Up Roshan Suriraj (Edwards Middle, 7th grade), Bee organizer and Georgia Association of Educators representative Trinecia Ward (RCPS Literacy Coach), 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee judge Tisa Smart-Washington (Rockdale County Tax Commissioner), Dr. Sha’Ronda McRae (RCPS English Language Arts and World Languages Coordinator).
Pictured below: 2023 RCPS Spelling Bee winner Toan Do of Gen. Ray Davis Middle, right, and his mother Trang Tram, left.
