Local Piedmont Student Wins Regional Spelling Bee

Will Compete For National Title in June

For the second year in a row, her talent for spelling was all the buzz as Queen Bee Angel Canete won the Stride regional spelling bee representing Cyber Academy of South Carolina (CASC). The event was held by K12, a Stride, Inc. company, that offers both private and public virtual school options for K-12 students across the country.

“Spelling bees are an age-old tradition that provides students with a fun, competitive way to hone their skills, learn new words, and make friends,” says Nicki Batson, CASC executive director. “CASC students are precocious and love a good challenge, and always look forward to the event. In addition to classroom pursuits, our extracurricular activities are an important way to help improve confidence and provide a clear pathway for students to expand their skills amid the company of classmates from around the country.”

Sophomore Angel of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, who is 15 years old, was one of 30 regional winners in grades 3-12 who will meet in Reston, Virginia, on June 7, to compete for the national spelling bee title. She competed against 11 students.

Her word for the win? Replete. The most challenging word she spelled? Theomachy.

Angel is no stranger to competition. She says her preparation for the spelling bee isn’t about cramming but instead is a culmination of focused, independent study and confidence from many other academic and sporting events she’s taken part in – that and practicing her spelling from a list of 4,000 words on her hour-long drive 6 days a week to and from the dojo where she trains as an elite karate athlete and competitor.

“I am excited and ready to fly to Virginia for a chance to compete again at the national spelling bee – I came in second last year,” says Angel. “It’s fun to meet all of our classmates from around the country and make new friends – we all have virtual learning in common, and it’s nice to compare notes and see what everyone else is doing schoolwise. I met my best friend at a National Beta Club competition several years ago.”

Angel’s sister was also a CASC graduate who earned high honors during her time at the academy. Their mother, Elisa Canete, attributes their academic success to the independence, focus and perseverance they learned from karate and virtual school. “Whatever they start, they decide to go all the way. And if things get tough, they work harder and find their way through,” she says.

This will be the third Annual K12 Spelling Bee. The first and second-place winners from each region will be flown in to attend. Angel will be joined by Kaylen Gregg from the Digital Academy of Florida, another K12 virtual school. The national competition can be viewed by reserving a spot here.

The prizes for the national elementary, middle, and high school winners will be:

• First place, a $2,500 Amazon e-gift card, and a Microsoft Surface tablet
• Second place, a $1,000 Amazon e-gift card
• Third place, a $500 Amazon e-gift card

About Cyber Academy of South Carolina

Cyber Academy of South Carolina (CASC) is an online public-school program of The Charter Institute at Erskine, serving students across the state of South Carolina. CASC is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation’s leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about CASC, visit casc.k12.com.

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