Submitted photo. From left to right: Westbrook Christian School Head of School, Rachel Neal; 3rd place, Jude Naughton; 2nd place, Brooklyn Kwan; Winner, Phoenix Ramsey; Exchange Bank Rep., Jonathan Couch.
By Karla McArthur, Correspondent
The Etowah County 2025-26 Spelling Bee was held Feb. 10 at Westbrook Christian School, bringing together top elementary and middle school spellers from across the county.
Rachel Neal, head of school at Westbrook Christian, and Sandra Handley, Westbrook Elementary principal, welcomed guests, administrators and sponsors to the annual competition.
Thirty schools were represented from Attalla City, Gadsden City and Etowah County school systems, along with Westbrook Christian School, St. James Catholic School and Episcopal Day School. Students in grades 3-8 competed on behalf of their respective schools, with the top three spellers earning trophies provided by Exchange Bank. Jonathan Couch represented the bank at the event.
Laura Ann Brown Newton served as pronouncer for the countywide competition. A 2013 graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in professional writing and public discourse along with University Honors in science and technology, Brown later achieved paralegal certification through Auburn University in 2017. She was the 2004 and 2005 Alabama Spelling Bee champion and remains active in helping Alabama students, particularly homeschool students, access opportunities such as the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Judges for the competition were Cindy Greer, former head of school at Westbrook Christian; Bobbie Keenum, longtime English language arts teacher for Etowah County Schools and Westbrook Christian School; and Karla McArthur, former ELA teacher and media specialist for Etowah County and WCS.
After more than 20 rounds of competition, Phoenix Ramsey, an eighth grader at Rainbow Middle School, emerged as champion. Ramsey was accompanied by Principal Allison Lee and spelling bee sponsor Staci Edmondson.
Second place honors went to Brooklyn Kwan, a seventh grader at Gadsden Middle School. Kwan was accompanied by Principal Chance Goodwin and spelling bee sponsor Amanda Wall.
Third place was awarded to Jude Naughton, an eighth grader at St. James Catholic School, under the leadership of Principal John Parker and spelling bee sponsor Leila Suarez.
The annual event highlighted the academic dedication of students across Etowah County and celebrated a shared commitment among schools, families and community partners to excellence in literacy and learning.
