Skinner North Classical School student crowned CPS top speller, earns trip to Scripps National Spelling Bee

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

“This is insane,” said Beatriz, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Skinner North Classical School who emerged victorious after spelling “sauerkraut” correctly. “I have never won my school spelling bee before, so this is unexpected.”

Inside the auditorium at Marie Curie Metropolitan High School, tension filled the air as 49 of Chicago’s brightest young spellers took the stage, each hoping to outlast the competition and earn a place on the national stage at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May.

The competition reached a critical moment in round eight when only five spellers remained. One by one, four of them were eliminated after misspelling their assigned words. Zach Bush from Nettelhorst Elementary stumbled on “obstetrician,” spelling it as “ostreticiam.” Anika Arun from Pritzker Elementary misspelled “Vatican” as “vanocan.” Danica Marinkovic from Dever Elementary tripped up on “promontory,” spelling it as “promantory.” Finally, Kwame Boateng from McDade Classical School struggled with “auspice,” spelling it as “asosposis.”

Beatriz, who had spelled “bannock” correctly, was the only remaining contestant. With victory in sight, she confidently stepped up for the championship word, “sauerkraut.” She spelled it with no hesitation, sealing her victory.

Her parents, Ben Whitford and Ana Rodriguez, beamed with pride as they watched her claim the championship trophy.

Beatriz had competed in her school’s spelling bee for three years, but this was the first time she had made it to the citywide competition. She also competed in the city’s student history fair and will compete this weekend in the science fair.

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

Whitford added that winning the school spelling bee had always been her dream.

“This was her last year competing. She finally made it through,” he said.

To qualify for the championship, first through eighth graders under 16 had to advance through multiple levels of school and regional contests, proving their spelling prowess along the way. Every classroom across the district holds a spelling bee, and winners from each school move on to a districtwide 50-word online test. The top 50 scorers qualify for the citywide spelling bee. This year, around 56,000 students from 175 schools across Chicago participated.

“It’s also a way to build character — students support and cheer on each other, even while competing,” said Danette Porter, coordinator of the CPS spelling bee program.

Porter also emphasized that the competition is about more than just spelling . “The most important part is learning. It’s more than just memorization — it’s about understanding how a word is formed,” she said. “Students learn to spell not just by rote memory but by grasping the fundamentals of language and word structure.”

There were moments of controversy. During round four, parents filed appeals over unclear pronunciations. Aria Banks-Stapleton from Pershing Steam Magnet Elementary School, misspelled “subtlety” after the pronouncer said “supplity.” Theodore Patsiopoulos from Solomon Elementary misspelled “compendium” after the pronouncer failed to enunciate the “d.” Both spellers were reinstated after review.

“We always have some appeals — they’re part of the competition,” Porter said. “But we want to make sure that we have checks and balances.”

After Beatriz’s victory, Porter took the stage to present the trophies, handing Beatriz a large first-place award and offering a smaller second-place trophy to Kwame, who remained on stage because he had been the last to spell in the previous round. The moment, however, quickly turned chaotic when parents in the audience began shouting in protest.

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

Before handing over the trophies, Porter paused, consulted with the judges and returned to the microphone to address the audience.

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

Beatriz said she prepared by studying from the “Words of the Champions” book, though she admitted she could have studied more.

“I didn’t study as much as I probably could have,” she said. “But I just kind of went through, and if I didn’t know a word, I looked up the definition.”

She also developed a specific technique to help her spell words with her finger in the air while on stage.

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

“Mostly, I’m just excited to be able to go,” she said.