Victory spelled 'p-h-i-l-o-l-o-g-y' for St. Mary School student
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Frank Grabowski, a seventh grade student in St. Mary School, New Monmouth, found success came one letter at a time March 17 with his win at the 31st Annual Spelldown Regional Spelling Bee. The 13-year-old Keyport resident correctly spelled “philology” to take the title in the eighth round of the two-day competition held in the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University, West Long Branch.
The regional contest testing the spelling acumen of students up to the age of 15 attracted 93 other school spelling bee winners from throughout Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties. Grabowski, who remembered placing “either 16th or 17th” in last year’s regional competition, will next compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held in Washington May 24-29.
Thorough preparation and a cool head were the keys to Grabowski’s success. The future computer engineer, who admitted to being “a bit nervous,” described his thought process when asked to spell philology, defined as the study and authentication of literary texts and written records.
“I had a list of words I had studied, but ‘philology’ was not on the list,” Grabowski remembered. “I asked [the spelling proctor] for its origin, and when I found out it was Latin, I could figure it out.”
Grabowski’s picture and news of his win is trumpeted on the St. Mary School Facebook page with the message “Congratulations Frankie! It’s a great day to be a Saint!”
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Frank Grabowski, a seventh grade student in St. Mary School, New Monmouth, found success came one letter at a time March 17 with his win at the 31st Annual Spelldown Regional Spelling Bee. The 13-year-old Keyport resident correctly spelled “philology” to take the title in the eighth round of the two-day competition held in the Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University, West Long Branch.
The regional contest testing the spelling acumen of students up to the age of 15 attracted 93 other school spelling bee winners from throughout Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties. Grabowski, who remembered placing “either 16th or 17th” in last year’s regional competition, will next compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held in Washington May 24-29.
Thorough preparation and a cool head were the keys to Grabowski’s success. The future computer engineer, who admitted to being “a bit nervous,” described his thought process when asked to spell philology, defined as the study and authentication of literary texts and written records.
“I had a list of words I had studied, but ‘philology’ was not on the list,” Grabowski remembered. “I asked [the spelling proctor] for its origin, and when I found out it was Latin, I could figure it out.”
Grabowski’s picture and news of his win is trumpeted on the St. Mary School Facebook page with the message “Congratulations Frankie! It’s a great day to be a Saint!”
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