Post Tagged with: "Spelling Bee"

4th Grader Daniel Awad Competes at Scripps Regional Spelling Bee

ACS 4th grader Daniel Awad was the winner of the ACS School Spelling Bee in February and competed in the South Jersey Regional Competition on March 8th.  

The Regional Competition was held at WHYY Studios in Philadelphia near Independence Mall.  Daniel was one of 27 students from public and private elementary and middle schools in South Jersey.

This was Daniel’s first trip to the competition and had 20 pages of words to study in preparation.  He finished in the top 20. 

Great job Daniel on your hard work and displaying your gift of spelling to glorify God and be a light to the others you were competing with.  We are proud of you!!

ACS Students Shine in Annual Spelling Bee; 4th Grader Daniel Awad Wins School Title

On February 6th, nineteen ACS students, in grades 1-8, competed in the School Level Spelling Bee held in the gym.  This annual event is part of the Scripps Spelling Bee program which is celebrating its 100th year anniversary in 2025.  

These 19 students were the winners of the Classroom Spelling Bees held in January.  Those who won their Classroom Bees were given a new list to study and had a month of coaching to prepare for the School Bee.

The contestants were:

Grade 1: Stella Tash, Roman Woods, Robby Boyer

Grade 2: Jaxon Fiorillo, Tyson Morales, Katrina Parasmo

Grade 3: Ellie Campbell, Olivia Kuchmek

Grade 4: Grisha Kagramanov, Daniel Awad

Grade 5: Sean Connolly, Rachael Eachus, Madelyn Sawyer

Grade 6: Caitlin Baron Doucett

Grade 7: Luke Sabulao, Tamara Kulov

Grade 8: Rebecca Ordonez, Vaughn Burgan, Chase Hagel

The Bee lasted for 29 rounds with over 200 words attempted.  4th Grader Daniel Awad was the winner over 8th grader Chase Hagel. Daniel’s final correctly spelled word was “television”.  Rounding out the Top 5 finishers were 6th grader Caitlyn Baron Doucett (3rd), 3rd grader Olivia Kuchmek (4th) while 7th grader Tamara Kulov and 8th grader Vaughn Burgan tied for 5th.  

Daniel Awad will now be representing Atlantic Christian in the Regional level of the Scripps Spelling Bee held at the WHYY Studios in Philadelphia on March 8, 2025.  The winner of the Regional Bee will compete in Nationals in Washington DC this Spring.

Congratulations to Daniel and all our other members of the Spelling Team who worked so far for this event.  We are proud of you!

ACS Celebrates Spelling Bee Champions: Maddie Petrinec Takes First Place!

Congratulations to 6th grader Maddie Petrinec for winning our school-wide Spelling Bee on February 8th, placing first among 19 students from the 1st to 8th grades after 55 rounds of competition. Maddie, who also won the school Spelling Bee for the 3rd straight year, will move on to represent ACS at the Scripps South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee in Camden on Saturday, March 9th.

Coming in second place was 6th grader Joseph (Joey) Kinch, and 7th grader Brody Panetta placed third. The three students spelled 24 rounds before we progressed to words they had not studied yet. This year’s Bee was quite long going over 2 hours and 335 words.

Under the guidance of Spelling Bee coach Mrs. Jessica Martin, the students had a month to prepare for the all-school bee by studying a list of 450 words provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Parents, teachers, and students were present in the gym to watch the bee and applaud between rounds. Congratulations to Maddie, Joey, and Brody, and to everyone who competed in this afternoon’s spelling bee!

The top 19 spellers who competed in the Bee, by grade level were:

1st Grade: Ezekiel Lovinsky, Katrina Parasmo, Delaney Witherow
2nd Grade: Olivia Kuchmek, Brielle Sabulao
3rd Grade: Daniel Awad, Jase Hackney, John Walley
4th Grade: Chloe Capito, Zara Thome
5th Grade: Caitlin Baron-Doucett, Ceci Torney
6th Grade: Hudson Dingmann, Joey Kinch, Madelyn Petrinec
7th Grade: Ben Kelley, Brody Panetta
8th Grade: Elijah Polynice, Billy Winkel

8th Grader Garrett Martin Wins 1st Place Among 8th Grade Competitors at North Jersey Spelling Bee, Middle School Team Places 3rd in its Division

8th grader Garrett Martin wins 1st place among 8th grade competitors at Northern New Jersey spelling bee.

Fourteen ACS 2nd-8th grade students competed in the Northern New Jersey Christian School Association Spelling Contest on October 13 and Garrett Martin took first place among all 8th graders in the contest. Garrett received a ribbon for his achievement and because of the points earned for ACS, the middle school students as a team received a plaque for 3rd place in the middle school division.

“Atlantic Christian School was represented very well at the NNJSCA spelling contest this year,” said faculty member Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney, who accompanied the students to the contest, which was held at the Abundant Life Worship Center in Nutley, New Jersey. ACS was among eight schools who competed in the event.

“Garrett was our most successful speller and his winning word was mooring,” Hahn-Chaney said.  “Our group of spelling bee participants made me very proud; they were well-behaved, showed good sportsmanship, and each of them did their best.”

ACS Spelling Bee Coordinator Jessica Martin, who has been working with the students in the weekly after-school Spelling Club, said that unlike the format of the ACS Spelling Bee held each winter, the students did not know what words would be included in the contest and were not able to study ahead for them. The contest format had students competing in a preliminary round in their specific grade levels and the top three spellers from each grade advanced to the finals.

The 14 students selected to represent ACS in the contest were the top two grade level finishers in last year’s classroom spelling bees. The students who competed were: Grisha Kagramanov and Molly Klinetob (2nd grade); Alexander Dimashi and Olivia Smith (3rd grade); Caitlin Doucett and Khaleesi Nyanankpe (4th grade); Madelyn Petrinec and Tamara Kulov (5th grade); Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney and Reese Resnick (6th grade); Nino Miranda and Matthew Coates (7th grade); and Caedyn Hahn-Chaney and Garrett Martin (8th grade).

 

4th Grader Madelyn Petrinec Wins ACS Spelling Bee, Advances to March 12 Scripps S. Jersey Regional Bee

Congratulations to 4th grader Madelyn Petrinec for winning our school Spelling Bee on February 17, rising to the top spot among 21 competitors from the 1st to 8th grades after 2 hours and 43 rounds of competition. Madelyn will move on to represent ACS at the Scripps South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee in Vineland on Saturday, March 12. We’ll be rooting for you, Madelyn!

Coming in second place was 7th grader Garrett Martin. 4th grader Tamara Kulov placed third, staying in the Bee through the first 21 rounds. Garrett and Madelyn then went head to head for another 21 rounds before Garrett misspelled “Chelonia” and Madelyn correctly spelled “justaucorps.”

Parents, teachers, and students were on hand in the gym to watch the bee and applaud between rounds. The 21 students from the 1st to 8th grades who competed in the bee had either won or placed runner up in classroom bees held in January.

Under the guidance of Spelling Bee Advisor Jessica Martin, the students had a month to prepare for the all-school bee by studying a list of 450 words provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Martin was also the pronouncer for the Bee.

The top 21 spellers who competed in the Bee, by grade level, were:

  • 1st Grade: Grigory Kagramanov, Molly Klinetob, and Carson Myers
  • 2nd Grade: Alexander Dimashi, Grace Petrinec, and Olivia Smith
  • 3rd Grade: Caitlin Doucett, Sofia Huezo, and Khaleesi Nyanankpe
  • 4th Grade: Joey Kinch, Tamara Kulov, and Madelyn Petrinec
  • 5th Grade: Mia Gaffney, Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney, and Reese Resnick
  • 6th Grade: Matthew Coates and Caelyn Domsic
  • 7th Grade: Caedyn Hahn-Chaney and Garrett Martin
  • 8th Grade: Marcus Anderson and Gabriella Goodwin

 

 

ACS Top Spellers Compete in Jan. 27 Bee, 7th Grader Gabriella Goodwin Wins Top Spot

Sixteen top spellers from the 1st to 8th grades competed in the annual ACS Spelling Bee on January 27 and 7th grader Gabriella Goodwin clinched first place. Gabriella will move on to represent ACS at the South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee this spring, which due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be held online.

This was Gabriella’s first spelling bee win, after competing two prior years when she was in the 4th and 5th grades. 3rd grader Madelyn Petrinec placed second and 6th grader Thomas Potenski placed third. The top spellers had advanced to the school-wide Bee by winning classroom spelling bees in December.

During the Bee, which was held on the stage in the gym, proud parents watched and cheered from the audience and fellow students watched via a livestream video into their classrooms. The Bee went 48 rounds, with Gabriella and Madelyn going head to head for the last 8 rounds before Madelyn misspelled “fawn” and Gabriella clinched the victory by correctly spelling the 232nd word in the bee — “gooey.”

“I’m so excited for Gabriella winning first place,” said Mrs. Jessica Martin, the ACS Spelling Club Advisor who oversaw the Bee.  “She has consistently been one of the school’s top spellers for several years, and I’m confident she will represent ACS well at the regional bee.”

The 16 classroom finalists, by grade, were: Oritseyemi Pessu and Ariel Wilkins (1st); Charlotte Newman and Caitlin Doucett (2nd); Gabrielle DiSciascio and Madelyn Petrinec (3rd); Mia Gaffney and Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney (4th); Caelyn Domsic and Antonino Miranda (5th); Ethan Costello and Thomas Potenski (6th); Gabriella Goodwin and Layla Kent (7th); and Joshua Kinch and Alek Stein (8th).

 

 

Practice Makes Perfect for Hopeful Spelling Bee Competitors

The after-school Spelling Club got underway on November 12 with 17 elementary students turning out to practice and improve their spelling skills in preparation for classroom spelling bees in January. The winners of the classroom bees will then advance to the ACS 1st-8th Grade Spelling Bee on January 27, and the winner of that Bee will compete against winners from other area public and private schools in the Scripps Regional Bee.

“The students are excited and ready to work hard to earn that special title of Spelling Bee Champion,” said Spelling Club Advisor Jessica Martin, who also oversees the school’s Spelling Bee in February. Martin said the students are reviewing and practicing spelling words from lists provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  To practice, they play games like Boggle and Lexicon, and are learning to differentiate between homophones.

The club meets on Thursday afternoons for five weeks this fall and then will meet for a second round in the winter to give the winners of the class spelling bees an opportunity to prepare for the ACS 1st-8th Grade Spelling Bee.

Martin said the dates and format for the 2021 regional and national Scripps Spelling Bees have not yet been determined. Due to the coronavirus outbreak last spring, the 2020 regional and national bees were cancelled.

ACS All-Star Spellers Compete in Feb. 21 Bee, 4th Grader Leila Alobeidy Wins Top Spot

Spelling Bee Winner 4th Grader Leila Alobeidy will represent ACS at the March 21 South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee in Vineland.

Thirteen All-Star spellers in grades 1-8 competed in the ACS Spelling Bee on February 21 and 4th grader Leila Alobeidy was the last speller left standing and will move on to represent ACS at the South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee on March 21 in Vineland.

Leila won first place in the ACS Bee for the third consecutive year. 8th grader Ryleigh Martin of Mays Landing placed second, Leila’s 3rd grade brother, Adam, placed third, and 7th grader Ruth Oke of Williamstown placed a close fourth.

The All-Star spellers advanced to the school-wide Bee by winning classroom spelling bees over the past month. As fellow students, teachers, and proud parents watched from the audience, the Bee went 60 rounds, the longest of any prior ACS spelling bees.

Spelling Bee winner Leila Alobeidy, right, and runner-up Ryleigh Martin shake hands at the end of the Bee.

Leila and Ryleigh went head to head for the last 23 rounds before Ryleigh misspelled “logistics” and Leila clinched the victory by correctly spelling the 287th word in the bee — “reductive.”

“We’re very proud of every student who competed and we know Leila will do a great job representing our school at the regional bee,” said Mrs. Jessica Martin, the ACS Spelling Club Advisor who oversaw the Bee.

At the conclusion of the Bee, Leila’s 4th grade teachers and classmates cheered and gathered round to give her a hug and congratulate her. The classroom finalists, by grade, were: Khaleesi Nyanankpe and Caitlyn Doucett (1st); Tamara Kulov and Luke Sabulao (2nd); Adam Alobeidy (3rd); Leila Alobeidy and Matthew Coates (4th); Sophia Capito and Thomas Potenski (5th); Joshua Oke (6th); Samuel Lilley and Ruth Oke (7th); and Ryleigh Martin (8th).

All- Star spellers — 1st graders Khalessi Nyanankpe (left) and Caitlyn Doucett (right)
All-Star spellers — 2nd graders Tamara Kulov (left) and Luke Sabulao (right)
All-Star spellers — 3rd grader Adam Alobeidy (left) and 4th grader Matthew Coates (right)
All-Star spellers — 5th grader Thomas Potenski (left) and 6th grader Joshua Oke (right)
All-Star spellers — 7th graders Samuel Lilley (left) and Ruth Oke (right)
All-Star spellers — 8th grader Ryleigh Martin (left) and 5th grader Sophia Capito (right)

3rd Grader Leila Alobeidy Wins ACS Spelling Bee — 8th Grader Evan Pearson to Represent ACS in Regional Bee

Congratulations to 3rd grader Leila Alobeidy for winning the ACS annual Spelling Bee for the second year in a row.  With fellow students, teachers, and proud parents in the audience, Event Coordinator and Spelling Club Advisor  Jessica Martin got the Bee underway in the ACS gym among the 13 students in grades 1-8 who had advanced to the school-wide Bee by winning classroom spelling bees. The Bee went 37 rounds before Leila correctly spelled “fascist” and then clinched the victory by correctly spelling the 207th word in the competition — “ligatures.” Leila’s younger brother, 2nd grader Adam Alobeidy, placed second and 8th grader Evan Pearson placed third. Due to regional spelling bee regulations that require all participants to be in at least 4th grade, 8th grader Evan Pearson will go on to represent ACS at the South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee on March 16 at Pauline Petway Elementary School in Vineland.

The classroom finalists pictured above are: (First row, from left): Tamara Kulov (1st); Caleb Norris (1st); Colton Carney (3rd); Adam Alobeidy (2nd); Julian Calloway (4th); Thomas Potenski (4th); (Second row, from left): Gabriella Goodwin (5th); Leila  Alobeidy (3rd); Autumn Loo (6th); Ryleigh Martin (7th); Jason Herrera (8th); and Evan Pearson (8th). Not pictured: Victoria Dade (5th). Pictured below as they spelled various words during the bee are: 4th grader Thomas Potenski (left), 8th grader Evan Pearson (center), and 5th grader Victoria Dade (right). Congratulations to all our student competitors. You did a super job.