Phoenix Newell, an eight-grade student at The Riverside School in Lyndonville, is seeking a third-straight win at the Vermont Spelling Bee. (Courtesy photo)
Vermont Business Magazine For most students, competing against the dictionary sounds like a nightmare. For Phoenix Newell, an eighth-grader at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, it’s just another fun challenge.
Already a two-time Vermont State Spelling Bee champion, Newell is now aiming for a rare “three-peat.” She secured her spot in the upcoming state competition by winning the Riverside School spelling bee on Feb. 28, earning the chance to defend her state title later this March.
While the pressure of a third consecutive win might rattle some, Phoenix views the competition through a lens of curiosity rather than anxiety.
"I’m competitive and I like to challenge myself," she said. "The spelling bee is a fun challenge because it's the students versus the dictionary."
According to her mother, Arcelie, this competitive spirit runs in the family. Phoenix grew up as the younger sister to a "voracious" reader, often striving to match her brother’s achievements.
"If big brother got first place when he was in sixth grade, she wanted to be first place when she was in fourth grade," Arcelie said. "She’s always had a knack for memorization. She’s the kind of kid who will listen to a song once or twice and know all the lyrics and melodies."
A Foundation in Curiosity
Phoenix credits much of her confidence to the educational environment at Riverside School, a K-8 independent school in Lyndonville she has attended since moving to the Northeast Kingdom from Brooklyn in 2016. Her father is an alum, and wanted his children to experience Riverside, too. The school emphasizes experiential learning, public speaking, and interdisciplinary connections — skills Phoenix says are vital when standing on stage.
"The teachers support and encourage curiosity and making connections between all the different things we study," Phoenix said. "Another thing is that we get lots of practice doing public speaking, so I'm not as scared or shy to be on stage for the competition."
Her mother agrees, noting Riverside’s Latin program has been particularly influential. By studying Latin roots, Phoenix has learned to decode unfamiliar words rather than relying solely on rote memorization.
"She’s not like a huge word nerd," Arcelie said, "but since she’s gotten to learn Latin at Riverside she’s gotten really excited about making connections about word origins and word meanings."
For Phoenix, these connections are the most joyful element of the bee. "It's the fun of seeing or making connections between words in English and then what I learn in Spanish, or Latin, or science," she said.
Road to the Bee
Winning the state title is no small feat. It grants the champion access to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., held in late May. State winners receive study tools, including subscriptions to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online Dictionary, which allows them to filter words by origin or category — such as ornithology or French-derived terms — to streamline their preparation.
To prepare, Phoenix utilizes the "Word Club" app and breaks down massive study lists into smaller increments. Her advice to aspiring spellers is simple: find a method that works for you.
"Reading also helps a lot because then you can see the words in context," Phoenix said. "Some people air type the words. I like to air write."
Arcelie notes the process involves progressively difficult word lists, starting with a 450-word study list for school bees and culminating in the "Words of the Champions" list — a collection of 4,000 words used to test the national contenders.
Beyond the Podium
Regardless of the outcome at the state bee, Phoenix sees lasting value in the experience. She believes the competition has taught her lessons that extend far beyond spelling, including stress management, work/play balance, and a strong work ethic.
"I have learned a lot of good lessons from this type of competition," she said.
If Phoenix wins the upcoming state competition she will once again represent Vermont on the national stage, armed with Latin roots, air-writing skills, and a competitive drive to take on the dictionary one more time.
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