Top spellers from area schools competed in the Stanislaus County Junior High Spelling Championship on December 10, 2025. The Junior High Spelling Championship, sponsored by the Stanislaus County Office of Education, is for students in grades 7-8, and took place at the Martin G. Petersen Event Center in Modesto. Scott Kuykendall, County Superintendent, served as the Spelling Master, and volunteers from each school site served as proctors.  

The top two spelling champions are Catherine Manix from Great Valley Academy and Navya Thogarucheeti from Prescott Jr. High School. Catherine and Navya will represent Stanislaus County at the state competition on April 25, 2026, at the Great Wolf Lodge, in Manteca. The alternate winner was Caleb Daniels from Roosevelt Jr. High School, who will attend the state competition if Catherine or Navya is unable to represent Stanislaus County. The top spellers spelled words correctly, including meerschaum, blitzkrieg, and enchiridion.

The following 19 Stanislaus County schools participated in the Junior High Spelling Championship: Cardozo, Connecting Waters, Dutcher, Great Valley Academy, Hanshaw, Hickman Charter, Hickman Elementary, Knights Ferry, La Loma, Oakdale, Our Lady of Fatima, Paradise, Prescott, Riverbank Language Academy, Roosevelt, St. Stanislaus, Spratling, Turlock, and Yolo.

Gold medal winners:

Silver medal winners: