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Heartland Christian 2nd-Grader Wins Spelling Bee

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Heartland Christian School second-grader Jabez Asuncion won a regional spelling Bee recently in Winter Garden.

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: March 7, 2009

SEBRING - By spelling "peninsula" correctly, Heartland Christian School second-grader Jabez Asuncion won a regional Christian school spelling bee.

After 22 rounds of competition recently at Winter Garden, the 7-year-old proved victorious over 37 other second-graders.

Jabez's mother, Jean Asuncion, said her son diligently studied a list provided by Heartland Christian School.

Jabez said he studied six pages of words with 96 words on each page.

"He went through every word," Asuncion said.

Each evening Asuncion randomly picked words from the list for her son to spell. He had just a little trouble with the easy words, she said.

But there was a little confusion in their practice sessions.

"I came from the Philippines so a lot of times I can't pronounce it right and he said, 'you cannot pronounce it right that's why I can't spell it right,'" Asuncion said.

So then her son asked for the definition of the word and she had to get the dictionary.

Parents were not allowed to view the competition because of the accommodations and they didn't want the students to be nervous with their parents watching, Asuncion said.

Jabez said math is his favorite subject because it is easy.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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