The Kootenai Valley Christian School held their annual Spelling Bee on Jan. 13, in preparation for the Association of Christian Schools International district competition. Students from grades one through eight competed in the event, with a winner and runner-up in each grade advancing to the district competition.

School administrator Ruthanne Dolezal reported the results from last Tuesday’s competition.

The winners were Jillian Stewart, first-grade; Warren Paulsen, second-grade; Kayla Hoff, third-grade; Katelyn Schmidt, fourth-grade; Hunter Bower, fifth-grade; Bethany Thomas, sixth-grade; Cierra Lucas, seventh-grade; and William O’Connell, eight-grade.

The runners-up were Tristan DeShazer, first-grade; Aaron Thomas, second-grade; Ayden Montgomery, third-grade; James Warner, fourth-grade; Jagger Muniz, fifth-grade; Aleah Ford, sixth-grade, Chandler Bower, seventh-grade; and Miranda Thomson, eighth grade.

These students will all compete in the district competition, which will be held on Feb. 6 at the Kootenai Valley Christian School.

Winners at the district level advance to regional competition. Those winners advance to the Association of Christian Schools International’s National Spelling Bee, which will be held in Dallas, Texas in May.