No acid notes for Skinner North Classical School Students, the trip to Scripps National Spelling Bee wins

For Beatriz Whitford-Rodriguez, the victory in the Chicago Public Schools Citywide Spelling Bee was particularly sweet on Thursday.

“It’s crazy,” said Beatriz, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Skinner North Classical School, who developed as the winner after the correct letter from “Sauerkraut”. “I’ve never won my school part of the school, so that’s unexpected.”

In the Auditorium of the Marie Curie Metropolitan High School, tension fulfilled the air when 49 of the brightest young magicians Chicagos entered the stage, in the hope of surving the competition, and in May to bring in a place on the national stage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC.

The competition achieved a critical moment in round 8 when only five wizards were left.

One after the other was removed four of them after they missed their assigned words. Zach Bush from Nettelhorst Elementary stumbled on “obstetricians” and emphasized it as “Ostreticiam”. Anika Arun von Pritzker Elementary missed “Vatican” as “Vanocan”. Danica Marinkovic from Dever Elementary stumbled into “Promontory” and emphasized it as “Promantory”. Finally, Kwame Boateng from the McDade Classical School fought with “Auspice” and emphasized it as a “Assposis”.

Vivienne Golden reacts to further spelling fighting during the 2025 municipal spelling championship with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights on Thursday.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Blaire Kwon will compete in Archer Heights on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Harriet Wunsch will compete in Archer Heights on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Kwame Boateng, who won second place, will compete in Archer Heights on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Kwame Boateng, who won second place, will compete in Archer Heights on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Danica Marinkovic, who took second place on Thursday, will receive a high-five championship from 2025 in the city of the city in the city in the metropolitan in Archer Heights in Archer Heights from another participant on Thursday.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Ethan Staniland will compete in Archer Heights on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A volunteer holds a sign with the inscription “False” during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights on Thursday.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Zach Bush, who took second place, will compete in Archer Heights on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Viktor Krivosic competes on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Damien Kennedy reacts on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The parents clapping during the 2025 urban spelling championship at Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights on Thursday.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Amen Nega competes on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Beatriz Whitford-Rodriguez, who won first place, reacts on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Bee Bee Bee Championship 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Damien Kennedy reacts after he correctly reported a word in Archer Heights during the city spelling championship of 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Viktor Krivosic reacts after the correct spelling during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights on Thursday.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Viktor Krivosic reacts after the correct spelling during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights on Thursday.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Anika Arun, who took second place, will compete in Archer Heights on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Beatriz Whitford-Rodriguez and Kwame Boateng, who won first place and second place, expect Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Height on Thursday during the CityWide Spelling Bees’ Stadweit Wit Championship.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The students compete on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 at the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights.

|
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Beatriz, who had written “Bannock” correctly, was the only remaining candidate. With the victory within sight, she joined the championship word “sauerkraut”. She spelled it without hesitation and sealed her victory.

Her parents, Ben Whitford and Ana Rodriguez, beamed proudly when they observed their claim of the Trophy championship.

Beatriz had participated in her school’s spelling bee for three years, but this was the first time that she had made it to the city competition. She also took part in the city of History Fair and will take part in the Science Fair this weekend.

“She has always been a very big reader,” said Rodriguez. “She started reading early and reads a ton. I think that’s the best preparation for spelling. “

Whitford added that winning the school station bee was always her dream.

“This was her last year in which she competed. She finally did it, ”he said.

Kwame Boateng, who won second place, claps first place, Beatriz Whitford, during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights, Thursday, March 13, 2025, | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times — Kwame Boateng, who won second place, claps Beatriz Whitford first place during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 with Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights on Thursday, March 13, 2025.

In order to qualify for the championship, the eighth graders under the age of 16 had to advance through several levels of school and regional competitions, which proves their spelling skills on the way. Each classroom in the entire district organizes a spelling bee, and the winners of each school change to an online test with 50 words. The top -50 goal shooters qualify for the urban spelling bee. This year, around 56,000 students from 175 schools all over Chicago took part.

“It is also a way to build character – the students support and cheer each other, even if they take part in competitions,” said Danette Porter, coordinator of the CPS Spelling Bee program.

Porter also emphasized that the competition is more than just spelling. “The most important part is learning. It is more than just learning – it is about understanding how a word is formed, ”she said. “The students learn not only to spell through memory, but also through the basis of the basics of language and the word structure.”

There were moments of controversy. During the fourth round, the parents submitted appeals against unclear prey. Aria Banks-Stapleton from the Pershing Steam Magnet Elementary School, failed “subtlety” after the pronoun said “investors”. Theodore Patsiopoulos from Solomon Elementary missed “Compendium” after the Pronounc had not sought the “D”. Both wizards were stopped again after the review.

Officials twitched the spelling exam.

Ben Whitford and Ana Rodriguez react as their daughter Beatriz Whitford, who first placed, while the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 at Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights on Thursday, March 13, 2025. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times — Ben Whitford and Ana Rodriguez react as their daughter Beatriz Whitford-Rodriguez on Thursday during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship 2025 at the Marie Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Heights.

“We always have some vocations – they are part of the competition,” said Porter. “But we want to make sure we have checks and balances.”

After the victory of Beatriz, Porter entered the stage to present the trophies and gave Beatriz Kwame, who remained on stage, a large price for the first place because he was the last in the previous round that spelled in the previous round. However, the moment quickly became chaotic when parents called in the audience in protest.

“There were four tied second place,” said one of the parents in the auditorium.

Before Porter handed over the trophies, she took a break, consulted with the judges and returned to the microphone to address the audience.

“Because this has never happened before, a round of five wizards leads to a winner-we will make sure that all wizards will receive a second trophy in second place,” said Porter. Trophies are delivered to their schools. “

Beatriz said she had to study before the book “Words of the Champion”, even though she admitted that she could have studyed more.

“I haven’t learned as much as I could probably have had,” she said. “But I just got through somehow, and if I didn’t know a word, I looked up the definition.”

She also developed a certain technology to spell her words with her finger in the air on stage.

Now, with the national stage in sight, Beatriz is preparing for her next challenge at the scrib’s spelling bee.

“Most of the time I am just looking forward to being able to go,” she said.

Beatriz Whitford-Rodriguez, who won first place, reacts when she realizes that during the 2025 city spelling championship in the Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School in Archer Height, Thursday, March 13, 2025. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times — Beatriz Whitford-Rodriguez reacts when she realizes that she won first place during the Citywide Spelling Bee Championship in 2025.