May 1, 2009

Dear Families,

Spring has sprung and a buzz is in the air. It is just about time to start preparing for this
year’s Spelling Bee! Put on your spelling caps and get ready to spell, spell, and spell some
more.

Students will soon participate in an Oral Spelling Bees in their classrooms. This year the top
three winners from each grade will move on to the Champion Spelling Bee, which will be held on
May 18, 2007. The kindergarten will not participate this year; the competition will begin in
first grade. Ultimately, there will be four champions, one from each level. The final
competition will be leveled by grades as follows:

1) 1, 2
2) 3, 4
3) 5, 6
4) 7, 8

The Spelling Bee is an opportunity for students to prove their spelling skills. These days
people so often rely on a computer spell check program instead of their own knowledge. The
following poem clearly demonstrates why it is a good idea for students to learn how to spell
correctly.

Candidate For Pullet Surprise
“I have a spelling checker, it came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue Miss Steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it.
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it’s weigh.
My checker tolled my sew.”
--By Jerrold H. Zar


Spelling Bee Rules:

1) The first part of the Spelling Bee will be held in the classrooms, using the following
rules. The top three contestants in each class will proceed to the Champion Spelling Bee.

2) This is an oral competition. There will be no paper or pencils.

3) The judges will say the word, use it in a sentence and say the word again.

4) A contestant may request a word be pronounced again or defined again in a sentence.

5) When the contestant is given the definition of homonym, the contestant must spell the word
defined.

6) The contestants must pronounce the word before spelling it and after spelling it.

7) Once a student begins to spell a word, a contestant cannot go back and start over to correct
a spelling.

8) The contestant must indicate if words have capitals or apostrophes.

9) When only two students remain in the competition:

-If one contestant misspells a word, then the other remaining contestant will need to spell the
same word PLUS a new word correctly to be declared champion.
-If the second contestant misspells the new word, then a new round begins with the two remaining
contestants.

10) The judges will make all final decisions in the competition. In case of a dispute or
protest, decisions will be based on Webster’s Dictionary.