The University of Maine at Fort Kent hosted the Aroostook County Spelling Bee competition for middle school students on Tuesday, February 11th.
Maine School Administrative District #27 sponsored the 2025 competition under the supervision of Travis Lynn, 7th grade English teacher at the Valley River Middle School in Fort Kent.
Sixteen students who competed were winners and runner-ups from the first round of the spelling bee from the following Aroostook County schools: Ashland District School; Easton Junior/Senior High School; Fort Kent Elementary and Valley Rivers Middle School; Greater Houlton Christian Academy; Madawaska Elementary and Madawaska Middle High School; Mill Pond School and Hodgdon Middle High School; M.S.A.D #33; and Woodland Consolidated.
The county champion is Claire Thorsnes, a 7th grader who attends the VRMS. Her winning word was “centipede.”
The winner will continue on to the state of Maine competition to be held at Bowdoin College on Saturday, March 22nd.
The spelling bee was free, and open to the public.