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Joseph Chambers "eviscerated" the competition Thursday to become Henrico Schools' 2018 Divisionwide Spelling Bee champion. The Quioccasin Middle School eighth-grader won in Round 11 by correctly spelling "viscera," a word meaning inner organs of the body. The contest brings together spelling champions from each of HCPS' 45 elementary schools and 12 middle schools to determine who will represent Henrico County Public Schools at the regional competition. Pocahontas Middle School eighth-grader Jackson Glagola was runner-up.
Among the words the 13-year-old Chambers spelled to win the title were "guarana," "udometer" and "mealymouthed."
With Chambers' win, Quioccasin becomes the first school to host Henrico Schools' new spelling trophy. The trophy, topped with a whimsical bee, was made possible by a donation from four-time Henrico spelling champion Tejas Muthusamy. Muthusamy, now a student at Maggie Walker Governor's School, donated money for the trophy to the Henrico Education Foundation, which had the trophy made. Each year the winner's name will be added to the trophy and it will reside with the student's school until a new champion is crowned.
Chambers will compete next in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Regional Spelling Bee March 10 at the Library of Virginia. The regional winner will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is held in late May and televised by ESPN.
