Winston Elementary School fifth-grader Ryan Newell won the Douglas County School System 
Spelling Bee on Thursday.
The competition, held at the Alexander High School Performing Arts Center and sponsored by the Douglas County Association of Educators, featured 29 school-level spelling bee winners representing all 20 DCSS elementary schools and eight middle schools, and Brighten Academy.
Newell correctly spelled B-A-S-I-L-I-C-A, a type of oblong building used in ancient Rome for public assembly and courts of justice, to win the championship.
Fairplay Middle School’s Nolan Miller finished as runner-up. And Chapel Hill Middle School’s Makayla Sheyin took third place.
“I am so incredibly proud of Ryan and the grit he showed throughout today's spelling bee,” Winston Principal Heather George said. “Even when the stakes were high, and I'm sure nerves had sat in, he remained calm and persevered to come out on top. Both in and out of the classroom, Ryan truly exemplifies what it means to be an exceptional student, overall great individual, and represents Winston in such an awesome way.”
Newell said those nerves of steel were the result of some advice from his mom to use breathing techniques to stay calm.
To get ready for the Spelling Bee, Newell said he studied with his mom and sisters.
He said his favorite subject is writing, and his favorite teacher is his homeroom and reading teacher, Michelle Hill, who is Winston’s current Teacher of the Year.
“She's really nice, and she just deserves to be Teacher of the Year,” Newell said.
Newell and Miller will now move on to represent Douglas County at the Regional Spelling Bee on February 22.
