Pleasant Hill sixth-grader Brady Hughes wins Cass County Spelling Bee

As the Cass County spelling champion, Brady Hughes will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He is pictured with his parents, Chastity and Justin Hughes. Photo provided

Brady Hughes, a sixth-grade student in the Pleasant Hill School District, is Cass County’s spelling champion for 2018.

After 12 rounds, Hughes spelled “lithe” to win the Cass County Spelling Bee, which was hosted March 6 by the Raymore-Peculiar School District.

Hughes receives an all-expense paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. The prize includes airfare, lodging, meals and a spending allowance for Hughes and one adult. He also won a trophy and a $50 Visa gift card from UMB Bank.

The runner-up was Cass-Midway eighth-grader Samara Lewis, who also received a trophy and a $25 Visa gift card from UMB Bank.

Other participants were Elijah Gray, a fourth-grader in the Belton district; Tyler Kimbell, an eighth-grader in the Harrisonville district; and Olivia Burton, an eighth-grader in the Ray-Pec district.

The Peculiar Charitable Foundation and the Rotary Club of Harrisonville provided donations to support the county bee.

Upcoming forums on Ray-Pec bond issue

At two upcoming forums, voters can learn more about the Raymore-Peculiar School District’s proposed levy increase on the April 3 ballot:

▪ 6:30 p.m., March 19, at Raymore Elementary School, 500 S. Madison St.

▪ 6:30 p.m., March 20, at Ray-Pec High School, 20801 S. School Road.

The high school event will be followed at 7:30 p.m. by a forum with candidates for the Raymore-Peculiar school board.

The district is proposing a 75-cent increase in the operating levy increase. It’s offset, in part, by a 30-cent decrease — for a net tax increase of 45 cents on each $100 of assessed property valuation. A voice-over presentation on the proposal is at https://youtu.be/LOzHucFsTWs.

Principal hired for Harrisonville Elementary

The Harrisonville School District has chosen Derrick Hartley to be the new principal at Harrisonville Elementary School, starting in July.

Hartley has been assistant principal since 2011 at Pleasant Lea Elementary School in Lee’s Summit. He previously taught at Delta Woods Middle School for 10 years and was a fifth-grade teacher at Cordill-Mason Elementary School for six years. Both are in the Blue Springs School District.

Hartley, who was the Delta Woods Teacher of the Year in 2007-08, began his career teaching kindergarten in Blue Springs. He earned his specialist degree and doctorate from St. Louis University. He has a master’s in education administration and a bachelor’s in elementary education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Hartley will replace Jauna Weber, who is returning to classroom teaching.

Ray-Pec dancers reach national finals

For the first time in school history, the Ray-Pec Prowlers Varsity Dance team advanced to the finals at the National Dance Alliance High School Nationals competition.

The Prowlers placed 16th in pom, 16th in jazz and 12th in team performance at the event March 3-4 in Orlando, Fla. Ray-Pec competed in the large school varsity division against schools from across the country.

The Prowlers are coached by Cheryl Gray and Hayley Houchen.

Cass Career Center honors student

Automotive student Quentin Thompson is the March Student of the Month at Cass Career Center in Harrisonville.

Thompson, a senior at Raymore-Peculiar High School, was commended for his leadership and his help to others outside of class.

“Quentin embodies the values we strive to teach our students and never hesitates to go above expectations,” a release from the announcing the award said.

They’re champs with bow and arrows

The 2018 archery champion at Ray-Pec South Middle School is Jaxon Sloan, who was among 41 sixth- and seventh-grade competitors during an after-school tournament last month. All are students in the school’s Lifetime Sports classes.

At the end of five rounds, Bryce Galtin finished third with a score of 203. There was a tie for first place, so a final round of five arrows determined the winner. Jaxon’s score was 243. Korie Jaspersen finished second with 232 points.

Kyler Davidson won the raffle for a Mathews Genesis bow donated by Randy Houser of BB Archery.

Teens star in musical update of ‘Freaky Friday’

Thirty teenagers from across the Kansas City area will perform live on stage in a new musical version of Disney’s “Freaky Friday” as a prelude to release of the feature film.

Disney announced last fall that the film was in production and Music Theatre Kansas City, or MTKC, was chosen to be part of the Disney Theatrical Productions Pilot Program, which mounts theater productions of a Disney musical before its general release.

The performances will be in MTKC’s new home inside the B&B Theatres Shawnee complex at Interstate 435 and Midland Drive. The local production will be used as a guide for Disney, as it prepares to release the film later this year.

“Freaky Friday, A New Musical” tells the story of an overworked mother and her teenage daughter, who magically swap bodies and have one day to put things right before mom’s wedding. The production’s live orchestra includes professional and student musicians.

Show times are 7 p.m. on March 16 as well as 2 and 7 p.m. on March 17-18.

Tickets are available through www.mtkc.org or at www.bbtheatres.com. They also can be bought in person at the B&B Theatres Shawnee box office.

Compiled by Elaine Adams, Special to The Democrat

This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 8:20 AM with the headline "Pleasant Hill sixth-grader Brady Hughes wins Cass County Spelling Bee."