Pender County students compete in spelling bee

PENDER COUNTY -- Pender County sixth, seventh, and eighth graders competed in a Spelling Bee Thursday night. The three grade levels had three separate competitions, but it only came down to one word. "That one word," Violet Batchelor, a sixth grader at Topsail Middle School said, "I knew it when I got up there, but when I got up there my mind was like what?" "Whenever you spell vengeful make sure you add the e between the g and the f," Cheyanne Rose a sixth grader at Cape Fear Middle reminded. The sound of the bell means the student moves along to the next round. A sound that made these students anxious Thursday night. "Nervous and a bit excited. Whenever I got up there I was mostly excited though," Violet Batchelor said. Students from middle schools across Pender County competed in the bee. Each class had a first, second and third place; each win their own prizes. Tamera Mcleod from Cape Fear Middle School won for sixth grade. "I feel good," Mcleod said. "I feel good. Its a good feeling," Jackie McLeod, Tamera's mom said. For those who didn't place, there's always next year. "My dad made it to the nationals so I'm going to try and do that next year," Violet Bachelor said. Cody Owens won for seventh grade and Meagan Ange for eighth. All three first place students are from Cape Fear Middle. They win one hundred dollar savings bonds and school gifts. Each participating school also gets a donation from spelling bee sponsors to their school libraries.