West Manor 5th Grader Sydney Ragland, Atlanta's Spelling Bee Champ

Sydney Ragland, an honors student at , likes school, band and track competition.

She also happens to be a very good speller.

So good, in fact, that the 5th grader beat thirty students at her school to win the school's coveted 2010-2011 School Year Spelling Bee championship. That win took her to the citywide bee, where she competed against 18 other students, grades 4-8. 

According to West Manor Principal Cheryl Twyman, Sydney stayed focused and made cut after cut after cut until she became a semifinalist and spelled the winning word: L-U-C-I-D.  

Now Sydney, 10, is preparing for the regional bee, which is this Saturday. The winner of that contest goes to the March 18 state spelling bee at Georgia State University.  (For more information about the Georgia Spelling Bee, go to: Georgia Association of Educators Spelling Bee).

The Georgia winner will represent the state at the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee, June 1-2 in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations, Sydney! You are this week's "Cascade Whiz Kid of the Week!"

Editor's Note: Know a talented, hard-working, achieving youth or youth organization in southwest Atlanta or South Fulton? If so, don't forget to nominate him or her for Cascade Whiz Kid of the Week.

Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to janita.poe@patch.com.

 Be sure to include all of the following information:

▪                Nominator's Name

▪                Nominator's E-Mail

▪                Whiz Kid's Name

▪                Whiz Kid's Age

▪                Whiz Kid's School

▪                Whiz Kid's Accomplishment

▪                Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)

If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you and assign a photographer to take a photo or you can e-mail one of your own.