Congratulations to Prince-Albert Hudson, IV, the Richmond Public Schools 2020 Spelling Bee Champion.

The annual division-wide spelling bee was held on February 5 at Mary Munford Elementary School. Cheered on by family and friends, thirty-two students representing RPS elementary and middle schools throughout the division competed at this year’s event after winning their school-based spelling bees. 

The spelling words were selected from Scripps National Headquarters and were pronounced by Dr. Joy Lawson Davis, award-winning author of Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners. 

Prince-Albert, a 4th-grade student at Barack Obama Elementary School, claimed the title after fifteen rounds by correctly spelling “centipede”. Paxson Wijesooriya, a 5th-grade student at Chimborazo Elementary School, was the runner-up.

As the division winner, Prince-Albert advances to the Richmond Times-Dispatch 2020 Regional Spelling Bee on March 21.