Three KA students headed to MAIS spelling bee
Three Kemper Academy students are set to travel to Hartfield Academy near Jackson on Friday to take part in the Mid-South Association of Independent School’s (MAIS) statewide spelling bee.
Sixth grader Tayshaun Chickaway (who is making his second consecutive appearance in the state event0, fourth grader Hayes McDade, and eighth grader Abagail Williams, all qualified by placing first or second at the district event hosted at Scooba Baptist Church in December.
Each of the 10 schools in the district were allowed to send one competitor from each grade from fourth through eighth to the district event.
“Tayshaun is definitely our spelling bee guru,” said Mary Ellen Waters, head of school for Kemper Academy. “He is definitely in is wheelhouse when it comes to spelling.” Chickaway and Williams both finished first in their grade level, while McDade claimed second.
There will be approximately 30 students competing in each round of the spelling bee. The rounds will continue until there is one winner for each grade. Then all five winners will compete against each other, regardless of grade, to declare an overall winner.
“They are all working from the same words,” Waters said.
Waters said the spelling bee is just one of several non-sports academic competitions hosted by the MAIS each year.
Among those are a reading fair, science far, art competition, and quiz bowl.
Waters said KA students would also be competing on both the reading and art competitions.
She said the reading fair is particularly interesting. Students can compete as teams on the junior high or high school level. They pick out a book and then dress like the characters from the book and put together a story board.