A Charlottesville Middle School 7th grader will represent Charlottesville City Schools at the Scripps National Spelling Bee regional competition, sponsored by the Richmond Raceway on March 4, 2026. 

Justine Puri faced off against 40 of their peers at CMS, winning with the word “ballistics” in the final round of the schoolwide bee. In the division-wide bee, Puri, who uses they/them pronouns, won with the word “residuals.” The division runner-up is Ollie Petralia, 6th grader at Walker Upper Elementary School.

Puri will compete against the top spellers from school divisions across Central Virginia. The winner of the Richmond bee will go on to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. 

Students at CMS and Walker participated in spelling bees in their English Language Arts classes as a part of the schools’ gifted curriculum, which emphasizes access to gifted instruction for all students.

“The annual spelling bee tradition is a celebration of learning,” said Dorothy Carney, gifted resource teacher at CMS. “From the classroom-level bees to the schoolwide competition, students showed initiative, skill, and sportsmanship. We are proud of Justine, Ollie, and all who participated.”