BY CLIFF SMELLEY
In correctly spelling the word “mythical,” sixth-grader Logan Scarberry of Lawtey Elementary School assured himself of a real victory at the Bradford County School District spelling bee, which was held Feb. 5 in the school board meeting room.
The event, sponsored by the Bradford County Education Foundation and WJXT Channel 4 of Jacksonville, consisted of seven participants representing Lawtey, Bradford and Starke elementary schools. Participants earned the right to compete at the district level by their placement at spelling bees at their respective schools.
None of Bradford Middle School’s qualifiers for the district bee showed up.
After five rounds, it came down to Scarberry and Hunter Arwood, a sixth-grader who was Lawtey’s school champion. To win, a participant had to spell two words correctly after the other participant missed one.
Scarberry correctly spelled “charitable” and “influential” to stay alive, while Arwood correctly spelled “squabble” and “obliterate.” Scarberry then spelled “varnish” correctly, setting himself up to spell “mythical” for the win.
In the first five rounds, before all the other participants were eliminated, Scarberry correctly spelled “remain,” “modify,” “gargle,” “mince” and “portrait.” Arwood correctly spelled “husk,” “simmer,” “muddle,” “agility” and “escapade.”
Scarberry will advance to the Florida Times-Union Regional Spelling Bee on Friday, Feb. 27, at 10 a.m. at the Jacksonville Public Library.
The two Lawtey students both received trophies. They and their parents will be recognized at the March 10 Bradford County School Board meeting, which will begin at 5 p.m.
Trophies and the prizes that all participants received were provided by the Bradford County Education Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit that supports Bradford’s public schools.
“I just want to brag on the education foundation for everything that they do for the school district and for putting this on every year,” Superintendent of Schools Will Hartley said. “They do an amazing job. They raise bookoodles of money that they forward directly back into our classrooms.”
Also participating in the district bee were Bradford Elementary’s Gabriel Heishman (sixth grade) and Lyla Libby (fifth grade) and Starke Elementary’s Raegan Barber (fifth grade), Adam Hall (fifth grade) and Jase Hinson (fifth grade).
Heishman and Hinson were the champions at their respective school-level spelling bees.
Barber participated as an alternate.
Also qualifying for the district bee (but not participating) were Bradford Elementary’s Sawyer Shuford (fifth grade), Lawtey Elementary’s Eastwood Moody (sixth grade), Starke Elementary’s Mackenzie Drake (sixth grade) and Bradford Middle’s Amelia Cooper (eighth grade), Marie Karinen (eighth grade) and Jason Weeks (seventh grade).
Students besides Barber who were alternates were Bradford Elementary’s Violet Driggers (sixth grade), Lawtey Elementary’s Zakary Walker (sixth grade) and Bradford Middle’s Serenity Gorden (eighth grade).
Prior to the start of the bee, Hartley addressed the participants, saying, “Whoever wins tonight, whoever is the runner-up — that’s fantastic, but we’re proud of all of you just for being here and also for stepping out of your comfort zone and standing up in front of a bunch of people and doing something that’s very hard. We’re proud of all of you.”
Troy Appling served as the district spelling bee pronouncer, while judges were Bradford County Education Foundation members Angel Autry (secretary), Cheryl Canova (president) and Lila Sellars (vice president).
School coordinators were Rebecca Ansley (Lawtey Elementary), Susie Couey (Bradford Elementary), Melissa Hines (Starke Elementary) and Phylicia Petteway (Bradford Middle).
