Fair Haven fifth grader Jacob Brown is the spelling champ of Knollwood School who is now headed for a county competition.

He won first place in the Annual Knollwood School Spelling Bee on Jan. 26. Jacob claimed the school-wide championship with his correct spelling of the word “nonplus.”

To qualify for participation in the Knollwood Spelling Bee, students first competed at the classroom level. The classroom-level winners then had to claim first-place finishes in grade-level Bees.

Grade-level Spelling Bee champs competing in the schoolwide Spelling Bee were: eighth grader Aaron Bernstein, seventh grader Alex Fratto, sixth grader PJ Rawlins, and fourth grader Sammi Samuels.

“I am extremely proud of all the participants,” said Knollwood School Principal Amy Romano. “Being a part of the Spelling Bee was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. As we proceeded into the final round, I was impressed with their skill levels and excellent sportsmanship.”

Next up for Jacob is county-level competition in the Regional Spelldown on March 14 at Monmouth University.

— Edited press release from Fair Haven School District