After winning the Rehoboth Road Middle School Spelling Bee and the school system's spelling bee,  Elizabeth Smyly, a 7th grade student, came in the top third of competitors at the regional spelling bee competition.

Crescent Elementary 5th grade student Madison Baker was the runner-up for the school system. Both students were recognized for their success at the April 3, 2012, Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education meeting.

Local spelling bee coordinator and Elementary Curriculum Director, Ashley Crawford, said, "We are proud of Miss Smyly! She is a strong student and she represented both her school and school system very well in the regional competition."

Both students competed using the vocabulary list provided by Scripps, which is the organization that manages the national spelling bee competition. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, it coordinates the national finals, produces word lists and study materials, and works with local spelling bee sponsors. Its stated purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.