ACS Top Spellers Compete, Winner Gabriella Goodwin of Mays Landing Advances to Regional Spelling Bee

*The winner of the Atlantic Christian School Spelling Bee – 7^th grader Gabriella Goodwin of Mays Landing.*

Sixteen top spellers from the 1st to the 8th grades competed in Atlantic Christian School’s annual Spelling Bee on January 27 and 7th grader Gabriella Goodwin of Mays Landing 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.

7^th grader Gabriella Goodwin (at right) is announced the winner of the ACS Spelling Bee on January 27 after going head to head with 3^rd grader Madelyn Petrinec for the last 8 rounds of the bee, which concluded after 48 rounds

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 of Ocean City placed second and 6th grader Thomas Potenski of Egg Harbor Township placed third. The 16 all-star spellers from the 1^st to 8^th grades had advanced to the school-wide Bee by winning classroom spelling bees in December.

*Proud family members were in the audience during the ACS Spelling Bee on January 27, held in the school gymnasium, and clapped and cheered for students as they competed.*

Sixteen Atlantic Christian students from the 1^st to 8^th grades competed in the school’s Spelling Bee on January 27. Pictured in the first row, from left: 1st graders Oritseyemi Pessu (Mays Landing) and Ariel Wilkins (Galloway); 2^nd graders Charlotte Newman (EHT) and Caitlin Doucett (Mays Landing); 3^rd graders Gabrielle DiSciascio (Somers Point) and Madelyn Petrinec (Ocean City); 4^th graders Mia Gaffney (Galloway) and Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney (Mays Landing); Pictured in the second row, from left: ACS Spelling Club Advisor Jessica Martin; 5^th graders Caelyn Domsic (Marmora) and Antonino Miranda (Mays Landing); 6^th graders Ethan Costello (EHT) and Thomas Potenski (EHT); 7^th graders Gabriella Goodwin (Mays Landing) and Layla Kent (EHT); and 8^th graders Joshua Kinch (EHT) and Alek Stein (EHT).

Atlantic Christian’s top three finishers in the January 27 Spelling Bee, from left: 1^st place winner 7^th grader Gabriella Goodwin (Mays Landing); 2^nd place finisher – 3^rd grader Madelyn Petrinec (Ocean City); and 3^rd place finisher – 6^th grader Thomas Potenski (EHT)

During the January 27 Bee, which was held on the stage in the gym, proud family members 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: 1^st Graders Oritseyemi Pessu (Mays Landing) and Ariel Wilkins (Galloway); 2^nd graders Charlotte Newman (EHT) and Caitlin Doucett (Mays Landing); 3^rd graders Gabrielle DiSciascio (Somers Point) and Madelyn Petrinec (Ocean City); 4^th graders Mia Gaffney (Galloway) and Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney (Mays Landing); 5^th graders Caelyn Domsic (Marmora) and Antonino Miranda (Mays Landing); 6^th graders Ethan Costello (EHT) and Thomas Potenski (EHT); 7^th graders Gabriella Goodwin (Mays Landing) and Layla Kent (EHT); and 8^th graders Joshua Kinch (EHT) and Alek Stein (EHT). Atlantic Christian Spelling Bee Winner