Niwot Elementary School fifth-grader Cooper Edwards recently won the Boulder Valley School District Regional Spelling Bee and is one of two students from Colorado who will be competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, in May.
After experiencing an early exit at Niwot’s spelling bee in 2023, Cooper returned this year with a renewed determination to succeed. His hard work and perseverance paid off, as he won first place at the regional competition by correctly spelling the word “crocus,” a delicate flowering plant. For Cooper, the most enjoyable part of the regional bee was the thrill of the competition as it neared its conclusion. “Toward the end, it was getting more fun for me. I wanted to keep going and spelling more words.”
To prepare for the national spelling bee, Cooper plans to utilize a variety of strategies. “I will probably repeat a bunch of the quizzes on the Scripps app, Word Club, remember the same words from the regional bee, and practice the list of words that Scripps is coming out with soon.”
Cooper is looking forward to his trip to Washington, DC, and is proud to represent Niwot in the competition. “Not everybody gets to do this. I’m really excited, and I just want to go and have fun.”
Audrey Lenger, Niwot Gifted and Talented Teacher, praised Cooper for his sportsmanship, supportive nature towards classmates, and achievements. “We’re not only proud of Cooper’s academic accomplishments, but we’re also proud of his humanity. He’s just a good human being, and he’s hardworking and responsible,” shared Lenger. “It’s unusual for a fifth-grader to progress from the regional to the national competition. You have to be poised, confident, and possess the ability to calm yourself and not let distractions get to you.”
Cooper is the first elementary student from Niwot to qualify for a national spelling bee. According to Lenger, “We’ve had two former students who went to nationals as middle school students at Sunset, but Cooper is the first elementary student to go.” Additionally, Cooper’s older sister, Paige, a seventh-grader at Sunset Middle School and a former Niwot student, won Sunset’s spelling bee this year and represented the school at the regional level alongside Cooper.