
2021 GAE REGION BEE WINNERS & RUNNERS-UP AND STATE FINALISTS
Bee Region/System Name Grade/ School Age
1 W/ Paulding Riley Linde 8 / Carl Scoggins Sr. Middle 13
1 R/ Bremen City Alicia Viera 8 / Bremen Middle 14
2 W/ Forsyth Cindy Zhou 5 / Haw Creek Elementary 11
2 R/ Cobb Gracie Dong 5 / East Side Elementary 11
3 W/ Gwinnett Long Nguyen 8 / Sweetwater Middle 13
3 R/ Gwinnett Cayden Mader 5 / Starling Elementary 10
4 W/ DeKalb Sanjeda Jamal 4 / Huntley Hills Elementary 9
4 R/ DeKalb Christian Wilson 6 / Champion Theme School 12
5 W/ Henry*** Ananya Augustine 7 / Eagle’s Landing Middle 13
5 R/ Clayton Sanieya Largent 8 / Elite Scholars Academy 14
6 W/ Crawford AiKevia Rutland 8 / Crawford County Middle 13
6 R/Houston Jaylen Jessie 5 / Parkwood Elementary 11
7 W/ Columbia Saisurya Lakkimsetti 6/ Stallings Island Middle 11
7 R/ Putnam Kellsey Ortega 6/ Putnam County Middle 11
8 W/ Bryan Nevaeh Lovett 8 / Bryan County Middle 13
8 R/ Glynn Kara Nuque 7 / Needwood Middle 12
9 W/ Decatur County Gurpreet Kaur 8 / Bainbridge Middle 14
9 R/ Brooks Lillian McCray 4 / North Brooks Elementary 9
GISA- W/ Peachtree Corners Troy Nguyen 7 / The Wesleyan School 12
GISA – R/Brookhaven Rex Nassah 7 / Marist School 12
*Photos are in order from left to right and down.
** Each region winner will be sent their respective 1st/2nd place trophy, along with $200/$100 voucher, certificate, pin and ribbon.
***2020 State Runner-up


To the Georgia Spelling Bee Community: Post region
The GAE State Spelling Bee Committee (GAESSBC) is very appreciative of everyone’s patience as we have collectively worked through holding our spelling bees in the era of COVID. The challenges that COVID-19 has presented in Georgia’s public school classrooms, by association, has also made this bee year challenging for all those participating in their local, county, and region spelling bees. But through it all, we have arrived at our final 20 spellers for the 2021 Georgia Association of Educators' (GAE) State Spelling Bee Championship.
The State Bee Championship, to be held on March 19, 2021 at 11 a.m., will be conducted utilizing the same Scripps Testing Platform as was used for your region bee. Therefore, there will be no video of the bee to view or share.
The Scripps platform written test will utilize 50 randomly selected words that have not been on a previous study list. Each of the 20 finalists will be taking their test at their home or school location on March 19, 2021 beginning at 11 a.m. sharp! As with the region bee, the test will begin with an integrity pledge to which each finalist must agree. The timed test – 30 minutes for 50 words, will consist of 25 vocabulary and 25 spelling words. After each student completes their test, each test will be tabulated and scored. The two students with the highest scores will be named the state champion and runner-up. State finalists will be contacted by email soon regarding preparations for the state championship.
This year, due to the global pandemic, Scripps says the national finals will likely consist of a combination of virtual and in-person rounds. They will virtually whittle down national contestants to between 10 to 12 spellers who will then travel to the ESPN Center in Orlando, FL, in July for an in-person Finals. Our state champion and runner-up will participate in the early virtual written rounds and hopefully one or both will make it to the in-person final of 10-12 finalists.
To prepare for the State level of competition, the finalists should study the 2021 Words of the Champions, a list of 4,000 study words. Understand though, that those words may not necessarily appear on the State level test. Remember, that this is ultimately about learning how to breakdown a word, its origins, diacritical markings, etc., to ascertain the answer. Attached is a PDF copy of the list for your convenience.
Please always feel free to send us your questions and/or concerns at gaebee@gae.org.
Left to right:
GAE Past-President Charlotte Booker and
Past-Secretary-Treasurer Justin Johnson
congratulate champion Arushi Cumer and runner-up Ananya Augustine
2020 Scrips National Spelling Bee was canceled due to the pandemic. While a great disappointment to our state champion and runner-up Ananya Augustine, GAE applauds them both for their hard work and dedication.
Arushi at the 2019 Scripps Nationals


Bee Study Resources
The GAE Spelling Bee Committee does not furnish any practice list of words to use for your speller. The ultimate recommended guide is using Webster’s 3rd New Unabridged Online International Dictionary as a study reference (http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/). Your school can access any Scripps study material once it has enrolled and has the receipt of the enrollment fee. Those materials may be downloaded and printed for the school winner for ongoing study.
For additional popular study sites search for Bee study resources.
The GAE State Spelling Bee Committee would like to welcome Beth Sample as our new Region 3 Consultant. The PRR has been updated accordingly.
Related Links:
GAE Bee Information
The 2020-21 GAE Procedures, Rules and Regulations for the Georgia Bee (PRR).
Quick Links:
2020-21 Deadlines and Dates
Scripps Website (Registration)
Region Consultants
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Products and Resources
Region Qualifier Forms
Region Bee Sites
GISA Member Schools
Local Bee Planning Guide
Merriam-Webster Online
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