It was about as exciting as one could hope for in a  Spelling Bee. When 5th grader Weston Harris was the only speller to spell his word correctly in round five, he simply had to get one more word right to be crowned champion...and the word? Ecclesiastical.  Without hesitation, Weston recited each letter distinctly, loudly, and correctly - winning the 2016 District Spelling Bee.  

With five other spellers left from round five, it became necessary to whittle it down to two.  It took another seven rounds for 7th grader Kelsey Madden and 7th grader Emily Fiorella to finish up in second and third place respectively. All three will move on to regional competition on February 11th in Sartell, MN.

One of the highlights of the night happened early on, when the audience burst into spontaneous applause for the speller who successfully dealt with the word "hoity-toity." You can check out all the pictures.

Weston Harris (5th grade), Kelsey Madden (7th grade), and Emily Fiorella (7th grade)

This year's secret ingredients were Citrus Systems Orange Mango Juice and Proview whole grain Chicken Tenders provided by GVM Food Marketing.  What the students in Leah Madison's Foods II class did with them was nothing short of amazing.  The recipes were as varied as the kids who prepared them, from chicken and waffles to Asian Chicken Salad.  You can check out the recipes and see photos documenting the judging of the recipes. Kathy Burrill, Food Service Director, provided the judges with some questions for the students as each group was "grilled" on the preparation and ingredients of their creations.