VALDOSTA — Avery Sebastianelli won first place in the Lowndes County District Spelling Bee Thursday.
Sebastianelli is a seventh grader at Pine Grove Middle School. He won for spelling the word “vandalize” in the fourth round.
“Feels awesome [to win], especially considering that I got here a couple years back but didn’t win,” Sebastianelli said, adding that visualizing the word like he’s reading a book helps him to remember how to focus when spelling words.
Jackson Elliot, eighth grader at Hahira Middle School, is the second-place/alternate winner. He secured the spot by spelling the word “reimbursable.”
“We are always thrilled to celebrate and highlight the accomplishments and achievements of our students,” said Dr. Rodney Green, assistant superintendent for Lowndes County Schools. “Lowndes County Schools has been on a path of encouraging students to read more and to grow through measuring their lexile scores.”
Sebastianelli will compete in the District 9 spelling bee Feb. 24 at Jones Wheat Primary in Bainbridge.
There was a total of 20 competitors, consisting of two winners from each elementary and middle school in Lowndes County.
The judges of the spelling bee were Dr. Laverne Jill, Creacy Sermons, and Bill Slaughter. The announcer/caller was Pam Guice.
The spelling bee is sponsored by Lowndes County Schools, the Georgia Association of Educators and the Lowndes Association of Educators.