Junior Division Winners: 1. Verna Conlin Hanley, St. Anne CES, 2. Elise Stenko, Westmount PS, 3. Daniel Casado, Monsignor O’Donoghue CES
Some of the region’s strongest young spellers took centre stage as the Rotary Club of Peterborough hosted its 12th annual Spelling Bee on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Fleming College.
The event brought together 120 finalists from Grades 4 to 8, selected from thousands of students who competed in school-based qualifying rounds across the region earlier this spring. Students vied for prizes including a laser tag party at Zap Attack Laser Tag, a Trent Excalibur Camp session, Camp Kawartha Environment Camp, bicycles from Canadian Tire on Lansdowne Street, and lessons at the Art School of Peterborough.
Beyond individual awards, top finishers also earned literacy bursaries for their schools, with $1,000 awarded for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third to support school-based literacy programs.
In the junior division (Grades 4–6), the top finishers were Verna Conlin Hanley of St. Anne CES in first, Elise Stenko of Westmount PS in second, and Daniel Casado of Monsignor O’Donoghue CES in third.
In the intermediate division (Grades 7–8), Henry Sharpe of Adam Scott Intermediate placed first, followed by Hudson Inglis of Kawartha Classical Christian School in second and Tyler Phillips of St. Theresa CES in third.
The Rotary Club of Peterborough says the spelling bee is part of its ongoing focus on literacy, one of Rotary International’s seven areas of service, with the club supporting education initiatives locally and internationally.
