local qualifying bee guide 2014
TRANSCRIPT
National Spelling Bee Local Qualifying Bee Guide 2014
The National Spelling Bee (NSB) is a volunteer-sponsored event for students from fifth grade to year four. The goals of the NSB are to expand students’ vocabulary and
encourage accurate word usage and pronunciation, increase students' phonemic awareness, practice common spelling patterns, and increase students' confidence in
their ability to use the English language. The National Spelling Bee aims to give students a forum in which academic excellence among all ethnicities living in Macedonia can be recognized and encouraged in an atmosphere of friendly
competition.
Sponsors of the 2014 National Spelling Bee Include:
Hello, supporters of Macedonia’s National Spelling Bee!
Thank you for your interest in the National Spelling Bee 2014. This packet contains all of the information you will need to host a Local Qualifying Bee. We’ve revised our rules and methods for 2014, so please read this packet carefully.
For example, this year, we are adding Regional Bees. There will be eight Regional Bee locations around Macedonia. All students who pass their Local Qualifiers will be eligible to continue to Regionals. Students who do not participate in Regionals will not be eligible to go to the National Spelling Bee in Skopje. This packet is for running a Local Qualifying Bee; further information about Regionals (including locations and times) will be available after the Local Bees.
This document includes:
How to Run a Local Qualifying Bee Official Rules—Local, Regional and National Bees Teacher Certificate Information Sign in Sheet for the Local Qualifying Bee Advertising Poster Example for the Local Qualifying Bee Sample Participation Certificate for the Local Qualifying Bee Qualifier Submission Form (MUST be completed in order for your students to
participate in a Regional Bee) Helpful web addresses for the 2014 competition National Spelling Bee Information The word lists are NOT included. You may download these off of the National
Spelling Bee blog: http://thenationalspellingbee.blogspot.com
Thank you again! National Spelling Bee depends on your help and support, and we deeply appreciate your hard work. If at any point you have questions, please email us at: [email protected].
Sincerely,
National Spelling Bee Committee 2014
How to Run a Local Qualifying Bee
1. First, secure a space for the date that best fits your schedule. The space can be anywhere. The only thing required in the space is for the children to spread out and a place for them to write. 2. Your next step is to submit your qualifier details on the 2014 National Spelling Bee Qualifier Locations Google doc (goo.gl/tHoAqL), so your qualifier may be advertised and tracked. Please fill in the right page, according to your region! If you’re not sure which region you’re in, check on our blog at goo.gl/aPBLd1 . 3. Distribute word lists to the students to study for the Local Qualifying Bee. 4. After securing a space for a specific date advertise the Local Qualifying Bee. A sample poster is included for displaying in schools and around the community. 5. Next, you must prepare all the materials for the Local Qualifying Bee.Materials needed for the Bee are included in this document. 6. On the day of the Local Qualifying Bee make sure you have at least one person outside the room with the sign-up sheet. The judges will be inside the room with the word lists. There should be at least two judges. 7. Call students into the room in groups of up to 20, according to their age category. Students should take a piece of blank paper and write their name on the top. 8. The judge reads all 10 words, including translations. Judges should say each word at least twice, and may repeat more if asked. Once the last word is read, the students should stay seated while one judge collects the papers. 9. The judges then correct the papers. When the papers are graded, the coordinator calls the student up to the front of the room and tells them how they did. If they got all 10 words correct with no mistakes, they are presented with an invitation to a Regional Bee (included). This student's name is then noted on the sign-in sheet. 7. After the Local Qualifying Bee, please email the Regional Spelling Bee Qualifier Submission Form (included) to [email protected]. To fill out this form, you need each student’s name, grade, school, and English teacher, as well as the region and the total number of students who participated in your Bee. You will then be sent the date and location of your regional bee. This information will also be available on our Facebook page. Please enter your submission forms by March 21st.
2014 National Spelling Bee Official Rules
Teachers, please read these carefully! We are trying to create a fair contest in which every student in Macedonia has an equal chance to compete. We know it’s hard for the kids, and we try to listen to your suggestions (for instance, this year students have to spell 10 words to qualify instead of 12). We also think it’s important that students understand the rules and follow them, so that they can learn about honesty and equal competition. Please explain these rules to your students and the reasons for them, and help us have a fun, fair Spelling Bee.
Local Qualifying Bee
Students must spell 10 words correctly in order to qualify for the Regional Bee.
Each student is to be given up to 10 randomly chosen words off of the appro-priate age level list.
Students are to write out their words, one at a time. Students may not erase or change a letter once it is written, but they may add
in additional letters and do not have to write the letters in order (e.g., if the word is colorful, the student may write ful and then add color before it).
Once the judges begin collecting papers, students may not change their an-swers.
If a student receives help from anyone, they are immediately disqualified. If a student gives help to another student, they are immediately disqualified.
If they have already spelled and received an invitation, that invitation is withdrawn.
Students are encouraged to ask for the translation into their native tongue. If a word has both an American and a British spelling, either spelling will be
accepted. National Spelling Bee is not responsible for printing Certificates of Partici-
pation for the Local Bees. We would love to give every student a certificate, but we do not have the resources. We encourage schools and teachers to print Certificates of Participation for their students, and we’ve included a sample certificate in this packet.
Regional Bee
Students will compete in grade-level bees with others from their region. At the judges’ and organizers’ discretion, large groups of over 40 from the same grade may be split into mini-bees.
Organizers of the regional bees will have lists of students’ names from re-gionals. Students will sign in next to their name. The sign-in sheets will be used to keep track of participants.
Students are to stand in line according to the sign-in sheets. Each student will be given one word, one at a time, for which they must write
the correct spelling on the board. If the student spells the word correctly, they move onto the next round and
are to return to the end of the line. If the student spells the word incorrectly, they are out of the competition.
For 5th-8th grade: after all but 5 students have made mistakes, the last 5 spellers from each grade will receive an invitation to the National Bee. For high school: after all but 10 in each category (Years I and II, and Years III and IV) have made mistakes, the last 10 spellers will receive an invitation to the National Bee. Other students will receive a Certificate of Participation in the Regional Bee.
Students who did not participate in Regionals and receive an invitation will not be eligible to participate in the National Bee in Skopje, regard-less of their participation in Local Qualifying Bees.
National Bee
Students may be split into smaller mini-Bees before competing in the grade-level Bee.
Students are to stand in a line according to their assigned number (number will be assigned at Registration the morning of the competition).
Each student will be given one word, one at a time, for which they must write the correct spelling on the board.
If the student spells the word correctly, they move onto the next round and are to return to the end of the line. If the student spells the word incorrectly, they are out of the competition and should report to the certificate table to receive their participation certificate and return their number.
At any point, during the Bee, the judges may switch lists and give the stu-dents words from another grade-level list or a secret bonus list. These may not be words they have studied.
Years 1-4 may be asked to spell words orally instead of writing them on the board. This will only happen during the final grade-level Bee. In the event that this occurs, students must spell the word clearly, slowly, and loudly, us-ing the Latin/English letters, not the sounds the letters make.
If a student gives help to anyone or receives help from anyone, they are dis-qualified.
Students are encouraged to ask for the translation into their native tongue. If the word has both an American and a British spelling, either spelling will
be accepted. Students may ask for the word to be repeated by the Macedonian/
Albanian/Turkish judge if they have difficulty understanding the American judge.
The winning speller must spell one additional word correctly in order to be awarded first place. If they are not successful, the spellers eliminated in the previous round will continue competing.
2014 National Spelling Bee Teacher Certificate Information
If you are a teacher or working with a teacher, the information below will tell you how you are able to qualify for a professional development certificate approved by the Bureau of Education.
In order to qualify, you must provide documentation of the successful completion of 7 of the 10 things listed below.
1. Organize a Local Qualifying Bee event at your local school 2. Organize a Local Qualifying Bee event at a village/satellite school 3. Practice words with the students interested in participating in the Local Quali-
fying Bee for at least 3 hours outside of class 4. Volunteer to assist a Peace Corps Volunteer or American Corner at their Local
Qualifying Bee or Regional Bee5. Organize a local media event for your Local Qualifying Bee or Regional Bee6. Practice words with the students who qualify for the Regional or National
Bees for at least 3 hours outside of class 7. Run a community fundraiser to support the transportation and lunch costs of
students attending a Regional Bee or the National Bee 8. Organize transportation for your qualified students to a Regional Bee or the
National Bee 9. Chaperone your students to a Regional Bee or the National Bee in Skopje 10. Volunteer to help at a Regional Bee or the National Bee in Skopje (shifts are
approximately 4 hours long). To do so, please email [email protected].
Documentation (photos of your events, a note signed by your Director, a copy of the media article, etc.) must be submitted to [email protected] before the National Bee in order for a certificate to be available at the Bee. If documentation is submitted afterwards, you will be emailed your certificate at a later date.
2014 National Spelling Bee Local Qualifying Bee Sign-In Sheet
NAME GRADE CITY SCHOOL TEACHER
…invites you to a Qualifying Bee inMakedonska Kamenica!
What: Compete for an invitation to a Regional Spelling Bee and a chance to qualify for the National Bee in Skopje
Who: Students in Grades V-VIII and Years I-IV
When: Wednesday, March 13th, 1:30-3:00 pm
Where: Kiril I Metodij School
How: 1. Study the words from the word lists2. Come and spell 10 words correctly
Questions: http://thenationalspellingbee.blogspot.comwww.facebook.com/nationalspellingbee
Sponsors of the 2014 National Spelling Bee Include:
A Certificate of Participation
for the _______________Local Spelling Bee is awarded to
____________________________Great Job!
_______________________________English Teacher
How to Submit Local Qualifying Bee InformationOnce you have completed your Local Qualifying Bee for 2014, you MUST fill out the
document 2014 Regional Spelling Bee Qualifier Submission Form (below) with
the students' information and email it to [email protected]. A fillable
PDF of this document may be downloaded from our blog for your use.
If you took any pictures of students practicing for or participating in your Local
Qualifying Bee, and would like National Spelling Bee to use them on our Facebook
page or in promotional materials, please email those to
2014 Regional Spelling Bee Local Qualifying Bee Submission FormTown/Village Name: Qualifying Bee Coordinator:
Date Held: Coordinator's Email:
Total # Students Participated: Total # Students Qualified:
Region (to determine your region, please refer to http://thenationalspellingbee.blogspot.com/p/2013-local-qualifying-bee-locations.html):
*All of this information must be submitted in LATIN/ENGLISH letters.
Student's Name Surname First
Grade School English Teacher's Name
If you have more students who qualify that there is space, please submit additional forms. Please email this to: [email protected] by March 21st, 2014
Helpful Web Sites for the 2014 Competition
National Spelling Bee's Blog: http://thenationalspellingbee.blogspot.com
NSB's Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/nationalspellingbee
National Spelling Bee's Email: [email protected]
Link to Notify Coordinators of Local Qualifying Bee: http://goo.gl/vSi8k
Spelling City: www.spellingcity.comThis website is a great study tool for students. All of the words for this year's
Bee are entered onto this site where students can play games with the words. Click on “Find a List” You will then be brought to a page that looks like the one below. For
the teacher's name, enter: nationalspellingbee
All of the lists are organized by grade and broken up alphabetically.
Peace Corps Macedonia: http://macedonia.peacecorps.gov
University American College: www.uacs.edu.mk
American Corner Macedonia: http://americancornersmacedonia.blogspot.com
Camp GLOW: www.glowmacedonia.com
Young Men's Leadership Project: http://www.facebook.com/YMLPMacedonia