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Livingston Elementary fifth grader wins Newton County Schools’ Spelling Bee
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Livingston Elementary School fifth-grader Cadyn Gray (pictured left) emerged victorious. He and runner-up Audrey Fuller (pictured right), an eighth grader from Cousins Middle School, will represent NCS in the Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Conyers-Rockdale Library. - photo by Newton County Schools

After 18 intense rounds of competition, Newton County Schools (NCS) has crowned its 2025 Spelling Bee champion. 

Livingston Elementary School fifth-grader Cadyn Gray emerged victorious, securing the title by correctly spelling “centipede.” 

The runner-up, Audrey Fuller, an eighth grader from Cousins Middle School, came in second after misspelling “placards.” The two students battled head-to-head for several rounds before Gray clinched the win.

The annual district-wide spelling bee was held on Friday, Jan. 24, at the Porter Performing Arts Center. Champions from each of Newton County’s elementary and middle schools competed for top honors as the school system’s best speller.

Gray shared that preparation and perseverance were key to his success. 

“I prepared for the Bee by studying all of the words on my Word Club app. If I got the word wrong, I wrote it down 10 times and then me and my mom would go over it,” said Gray. 

Reflecting on his past experience in last year’s competition, he added, “I was in the Bee last year but got out when I made a mistake on ‘dynasty.’ Once I got that wrong, I realized I needed to practice smarter and harder. I knew I had to work a little bit harder and focus. My mom helped me study.”

When asked about his emotions during the competition, Gray expressed confidence. 

“I was never nervous because my mom told me to be brave once and I did. I followed her instructions,” he said. Grateful for his mother’s support, Gray added, “My mom is everything to me.”

Gray’s excitement about winning was unmistakable. 

“I am so excited I could do a backflip!” he exclaimed after the bee. 

Looking ahead, he shared his aspirations, saying he not only plans to prepare diligently for the regional competition but also hopes to one day compete in the national spelling bee.

As the district’s spelling bee winner and runner-up, both Gray and Fuller will represent NCS in the Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Conyers-Rockdale Library.

Dr. Duke Bradley, III, superintendent of NCS, attended the event and was impressed by the students’ performances. 

“Watching Cadyn and Audrey battle round after round was truly inspiring,” said Bradley. “Both students demonstrated remarkable poise and skill. They represent the very best of Newton County Schools, and I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.”

Oxford College volunteers brave the cold to serve in honor of MLK Day
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Photo by Avery D. Spalding, Emory Photo/Video.

Courtesy of Oxford College

On Jan. 20, more than 60 Oxford College students, staff and community members bundled up against the cold to help several community partners during Emory’s annual MLK Day of Service.

“With temperatures forecast to be in the 20s, we pivoted our two outdoor projects,” says Megan Hulgan, Oxford’s assistant director of Student Involvement, Leadership and Transitions (SILT). “Instead of removing invasive plants from the trail behind the Oxford College Organic Farm, our volunteers worked inside the farm greenhouse to support the farm’s production of native plants. At Best Friends Farm, a local animal sanctuary, students assisted with tasks in the barn and in the chicken coop.”

Students and staff also served behind the scenes at Giving Hands Food Pantry and the Salvation Army by cleaning, organizing and sorting donations. 

“Salvation Army volunteers prepped hundreds of articles of clothing to be sold at the thrift store or given to our neighbors in need free of charge,” Hulgan says. They also learned about services the Salvation Army offers to unhoused neighbors, individuals affected by the justice system and others.

Farmer/educator Daniel Parson had ample tasks to keep the Oxford Organic Farm volunteers busy, despite the change in plans. Students made potting soil, tidied the greenhouse, trimmed and prepped native plants that were already growing, and planted 10 flats of native seeds so that more can be grown.

“Our native plant program is an important part of the farm by providing pest control and increasing biodiversity,” Parson explains. “We are able to sell some of the plants, getting them into the community and providing funding for our activities. We also partner with the City of Oxford on their right-of-way meadows, so some of the plants may end up there.”

Although the day was cold enough to quickly freeze any water outside, Oxford Farm volunteers spent much of their time in the greenhouse — where it was a warm 70 degrees.

After their shifts were complete, volunteers gathered for lunch and post-event reflections.

“We swapped stories of the work we completed and the local issues we learned about,” Hulgan says. “We concluded with reflection on how we can engage in the ongoing work to reach Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

“Our community is committed to the environmental justice missions of these organizations,” she adds. “I’m not surprised that students, staff and campus partners got their hands dirty and supported this work despite the below-freezing temperatures.”