CMS 2023 District Spelling Bee winners from left: Emerson McVey, third place; Dhruva Srivatsa, first place: and Grace Cai, second place.

Jan. 27. After spelling the final word, “peripheral,” correctly, Dhruva Srivatsa took home the top prize at the CMS 2023 District Spelling Bee Jan. 26 at The Mint Museum Randolph.

He attends Davidson K-8 School.

Dhruva and runners-up, Grace Cai from Irwin Academic Center and Emerson McVey from South Academy of International Languages will compete at the Carolina Panthers Regional Spelling Bee.