NJSFWC 2017 Spelling Bee

Your Club Spelling Bee packet contains:

1) Suggestions and tips for a successful Spelling Bee.

2) Organization of Club Spelling Bee.

3) Sample letter to Schools (asking for participation)

4) Sample Letter to Contestants

5) Tips to Contestants

6) Practice Word List

7) Spelling Bee Rules

Also available on the website is a packet for judges and registrars that contains:

1) Sample invitation to judges, etc.

2) Instructions for Registrar

3) Instructions for Judges

For use the day of the Bee you will find:

1) Sample Opening Speech

2) Sample Award Certificate, and a

3) Sample Letter to Winner which will be provided by the District Chairman

Please read through these materials carefully. Hopefully, the suggestions

contained throughout will help clubs avoid problems. These samples are

provided as guidelines. You may wish to tailor them to your specific needs.

Clubs holding a Spelling Bee will receive a Word List for competition and

forms to be forwarded to the District Chairman upon completion of the Bee

from the State Spelling Bee Chairman.

Rather than holding their own Bee, some clubs contact their schools and ask

for the names of students to send to the District Bee. If this is the case,

adjust the sample Bee letter to inform the schools about the District Bee

and how to contact you with the names of the students, keeping in mind that

a club may only send a maximum of three students to the District Bee. Pass

the names and addresses on to the District Bee organizers. Make sure these

contestants receive a letter with District Bee info, spelling bee rules,

practice list and directions to the Bee. Some clubs give a small thank you gift

to the students representing them – it’s comforting to the student to know

who they are representing!

Suggestions and tips for a successful Spelling Bee

· Some clubs hold separate Bees for fourth and fifth grades. This is a

good idea when there are many schools participating and therefore

many students. The sample letter to contestants and alternates are

written for both forms of Bees. Delete the part which doesn’t apply in

your case.

· Limit the number of contestants to around thirty or forty. You don’t

want your Bee to take too long.

· Open doors to the Bee one half hour before starting time for

registration. Begin the Bee promptly. Don’t wait for “no shows”.

· Offer a break if you feel it is needed after five rounds. Remind

students the breaks are the time to use the bathroom.

· You may wish to tape record the Bee, should there be a dispute over

what has been heard. The State Bee is recorded with two machines.

· You may wish to solicit prizes from a local bookstore/bank.

· Suggested seating arrangement:

Contestants should not face the crowd, if possible. This

helps the children maintain their concentration and reduces

the chance of “help” from parents.

| | | | | | | \ Pronouncer

| | | | | | |

| | | | | | | |

|

Judges

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Organization of Club Spelling Bee

October

· Select members to organize the Spelling Bee. One or two people should

be sufficient

· Contact your District Spelling Bee Chairman and the State Spelling Bee

Chairman. Let them know your Club is doing a Bee.

· There are several methods of obtaining contestants. The method used

depends upon type of community(ies), the schools, and the Club.

1) Contestants solicited through newspapers, posters, flyers. With

this method, contestants would need to pre-register.

2) Contact schools. Have each school run its own Bee, sending a

specific number of finalists to your Bee.

· Compile a list of local schools and determine the number of the

participants to be invited from each school. Decide whether two Bees

(one for fourth grade and one for fifth grade) or one will be held.

· Prepare and send letter to each principal, inviting their participation.

· Determine where the Spelling Bee will be held and obtain authorization,

insurance riders, etc. if necessary. Ask about any special requests

(supervision of the children in the halls, use of bathrooms, etc.).

· Determine what type of prize will be issued to winners. Ask businesses to

donate a prize.

November

· Prepare letter to the fourth and fifth grade teachers at the schools on

your list. Obtaining the names and telephone numbers of the teachers

and contacting them directly is recommended. Indicate how many

children may be invited and the date by which you need their names. See

Sample.

· Prepare letters of congratulations to be issued to the invited students,

contestants and alternates. The letter should include the date, time and

location of the Spelling Bee, along with a practice word list and the rules.

See Samples. You may want to indicate the number of guests each child

may bring, if the size of the room is an issue.

· Request club volunteers to work on the Bee. You may decide to invite local

teachers, School Board members, etc. to serve as pronouncer, judges, and

registration / refreshment helpers. You may ask for donations of

refreshments.

December

· Compile a registration list from school responses. Follow up with schools

who have not responded.

· Prepare Certificates of Achievement, name tags, and programs, if desired.

· Prepare copies of the word lists for the pronouncer and each judge.

There is one word list for even year bees and one list for odd year bees.

Contact the State Spelling Bee Chairman for the word lists.

January

· Count the number of participants on your final registration list.

o Write each number on a small piece of paper, fold it and place in a

bag. The bag should be kept with the registration list. See

Instructions for Registrars.

o Prepare a numbered sign for each child to wear around his/her

neck. The numbers will help the judges to identify participants.

Bee Day

· Organize all of your materials and enjoy your Bee – make sure you have

your word lists!

·Read the rules out loud to the parents and contestants.

·Some clubs gather the contestants together as they come in and talk about

what is going to happen. Remember – they are nervous! Ask if there are

any questions and go through the spelling bee procedure.

· Be sure to have a dictionary on hand. The dictionary is your authority

should a question arise.

· Set up chairs for participants; you may put a numbered sign on each chair,

if you'd like. See Suggestions for tips on how to organize your seating.

· Submit an article with pictures to your local newspaper.

· Submit the names of the winners to the District Spelling Bee Chairman.

CLUB LETTER HEAD

[Date]

[Name of Principal]

[Address of School]

Dear [Name],

The [Club Name] is sponsoring the [#] Annual Spelling Bee on [date], [snow date]. The bee will take place

at [Place], [Address].

The Spelling Bee is open to fourth (and fifth, if applicable) grade students. Winners will be eligible to

participate in District or State Spelling Bees.

The following rules will be used:

1. A Pronouncer will say and define the word.

2. The contestant will say the word, spell the word and say the word again.

3. Judges will rule on the spelling.

4. If a word is misspelled, the contestant is eliminated.

5. When only two contestants remain, if a word is misspelled, the remaining student must correctly

spell that word, as well as one more word to be declared the winner.

Please consent to have your students participate. We would like each class to select [#] representatives.

The students may be selected by any method you desire. You may hold a spelling bee or you may personally

select students you know are natural spellers.

The following information is enclosed for distribution to the students who will be participating in the [Club

Name] Spelling Bee.

1. A congratulatory letter which indicates all relevant information.

2. The Spelling Bee rules.

3. A practice word list.

If your school is interested in participating in our Spelling Bee, please send me the names of the students

participating by [date]. Please include the home and cell phone number of each student, so that the

students may be contacted in the event of a snow cancellation. If you have any questions, please call me at

[phone number]. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Spelling Bee Chairman

CLUB LETTERHEAD

[Date]

Dear Contestant,

Congratulations!

You have been selected as a contestant in the [#] Annual [Club Name} Spelling Bee. The Spelling

Bee will be held on [date] at [place]. The snow date is [date].

The Spelling Bee will start promptly at [time]. Please arrive at [time] for registration.

There will be [#] contestants. The first place (or first through third place) contestants [in each

grade (if applicable)] will receive a [list prize].

The top three winners [or the top winner from the fourth grade and top two winners from the

fifth grade or whatever combination your club chooses to give a total of three contestants for

the District Bee] will participate in the[[ District Spelling Bee to be held in [place] on [date].

The top three winners from the District Bee will be going on to the State Spelling Bee held in

New Brunswick on [date]. (NOTE: Please edit based upon whether your District will have a

District Spelling Bee.).

Once a winner(s) withdraws from the district or state event for any reason such as illness or

schedule conflict, an alternate will be invited to participate and the original contestant will no

longer be eligible for further competition.

Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the rules and a practice word list. This is only a practice

list. Some of the words may appear at the Bee along with words that are not on the list.

If you have any questions please call me at [phone number].

Sincerely,

[Name]

Spelling Bee Chairman

Spelling Bee Contestant Permission Slip

I give permission for my child __________________________________ to participate

Name, Grade

in the NJSFWC Spelling Bee on (time/date) _________________________________

(snow date______) at ________________________, located ____________________

_____________________________________________________________________.

I have reviewed the Spelling Bee Rules with my child and I further understand that an adult must

accompany my child to this event.

Parent or Guardian Name: ________________________________________________

Signature: ____________________________________________ Date: ___________

Address: _________________________________ Phone: ______________________

Cell (in case of a snow cancellation):________________________________________

Email: ________________________________________________________________

***********************************************************************************

PHOTO RELEASE FORM

I hereby give the NJSFWC permission to photograph my child

________________________________________ during the Spelling Bee event.

The photos will be used for newsletters, membership websites and newspaper articles submitted in our

local communities.

_____________________________________________________________________

Signature Parent/Guardian Date

Tips for Parents and Contestants of Spelling Bees

How to Prepare and Win!

Lisa Levin, NJSFWC State Spelling Bee Chairman

P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-O-N

Pronunciation: fĭ-nŏm'ә- nŏn'

Definition: An unusual, significant, or unaccountable fact or occurrence; a marvel.

Origin: Late Latin phaenomenon, from Greek phainomenon

Sentence: The interest in spelling bees has grown so much it is a phenomenon!

Congratulations on being a part of the spelling phenomenon! Spelling competitions have been around for almost

150 years. However, the last few years have seen an increase in the attention given to spelling contests, and the

2006 live television coverage of the bee was shown during primetime for the first time ever!

Spelling is a complicated matter for anyone trying to learn the English language. While our everyday vocabulary

continues to grow, English word origins include almost every language in existence -- and some are no longer

regularly spoken! Many identical sounds are spelled differently in different words and 84 of the 90 basic English

spelling patterns have exceptions. It’s no wonder that spelling can be a competitive event!

The educational value of spelling is getting an enormous lift from media buzz and the motion picture industry.

Spelling is cool! That is why the NJSFWC Bee Competition Series has been using the theme, “Spelling Rocks!”

We are committed to making spelling bees all over the Garden State a valuable component of elementary

education that is fun, rewarding, competitive and most of all—a compelling experience that will keep students

preparing for more. The 4th and 5th grade contestants who practice for our bees do so with purpose and with a

single goal—to do their absolute best towards winning the championship!

The Scripps Bee is the country’s largest and longest running spelling bee -- its purpose is to “help students

improve spelling, increase vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all

of their lives."

Although the NJSFWC Spelling Bee Series is not associated with the Scripps National Spelling Bee, we can

provide you with information on how to get involved with this larger, much more competitive series. The Scripps

runs its bees through local newspaper sponsors. As a speller wins, he or she moves on to the next larger contest,

usually a district or county bee, and finally to a regional bee, which decides the contestants for the national bee in

Washington.

The regional bees are highly competitive in that only one winner from each of the regional bees is allowed to

continue to the national Bee. Our NJSFWC series allows the top three winners to advance from club to district to

state level competitions. Our environment is a great starting point for any aspiring national champion!

To help prepare for a bee, there are a number of techniques beyond reviewing words that should be considered.

Spelling bees may not appear to be complex, but there is a strategy that champion bee-ers use. Start by watching

a bee any way you can.

A great way to become comfortable with the process is to attend a spelling bee or watch a movie about them.

Akeelah and the Bee or the documentary Spellbound, which follows several spellers participating in the National

Bee, is very informative as well as entertaining.

These movies can be purchased on-demand or rented. Akeelah and the Bee, is about an “underdog” competing to

win the national contest. It’s a movie released in April of 2006, and is also bringing wider attention to the

Scripps National Spelling Bee.

As you watch a bee, you’ll notice a few things that spellers do to increase their chance of spelling a word

correctly. For example, during a bee, you’ll want to get as much information about the word as you can.

Contestants can ask for the word to be repeated to be sure it was pronounced correctly, and contestants should

ask for the definition and for the word to be used in a sentence. This will give the speller time to focus on the

spelling of the word to be certain he or she is thinking of the right word.

The spelling bee website (www.spellingbee.com) offers great resources for getting prepared.

Winning spelling bees does take hard work and determination. While winning the national championship may or

may not be something you aspire to, even just participating in a local bee can reward a student with an enriched

vocabulary, a sense of accomplishment, and a healthy appreciation of competition and goal-setting.

Use the website of the Scripps National Spelling Bee or any current spelling bee movie or live event as a means

to get interested, and get started in the world of spelling bees. Whether you are an adult supporter or the

contestant, enjoy the experience and good luck!

Spelling Rocks!

NJSFWC Official Spelling Bee Rules 2016-17

NJSFWC HEADQUARTERS 55 LABOR CENTER WAY, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 08901

All rules must be made available to contestants prior to the Spelling Bee and also read out loud to the contestants and audience members on the day of the Spelling Bee before competition begins.

1. Grade/Enrollment: Participants must be enrolled in the fourth or fifth grade.

2. Official Dictionary: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary shall serve as the final authority for the spelling of the

words. If more than one spelling is listed for a word, any of these spellings will be accepted as correct if the alternate spelling appears in boldface type.

3. Talking Among Contestants: Once the Spelling Bee begins, there shall be no talking between the contestants. Failure

to adhere to this rule will result in the contestant being disqualified from the remainder of the competition.

4. Re-pronouncing and Definitions: The contestant may ask the pronouncer to re-pronounce the word, define it, or use it

in a sentence. The pronouncer may grant all the requests until the judges agree that the word has been made reasonably clear. Judges may disqualify any contestant who ignores a request to start spelling.

5. Pronouncing Words: In competition, the pronouncer gives the contestant a word. We strongly suggest to the

contestants that they pronounce the word before spelling. This will allow the judges to make sure the contestant is spelling the correct word. After spelling word, the contestant should say the word again to let the judges know they are done spelling.

6. Practice Word Lists: Every contestant will receive a practice word list. Some words for the Bee may be chosen from

the practice word list. Additional words will be added. No contestant at the Club, District, or State levels will receive any official competition word lists.

7. Homophones: During competition, a contestant may receive a word that is a homophone, meaning a word could have two different and correct spellings with two distinct meanings. Example: “plane” vs. “plain.” In these instances, the

pronouncer will automatically define the word. Should the pronouncer not provide the definition, the contestant can spell either of the homophones.

8. Proper Nouns: During competition, contestants may receive a word or words that are proper nouns, meaning that the

word or words must include capital letters. All capital letters must be indicated during the spelling of the word. For example: if the word “Rhode Island” is given, then the contestant must spell as follows: “Rhode Island (pause) capital R-h-o-d-e capital I-s-l-a-n-d (pause) Rhode Island.”

9. Pauses or Re-starts to Spelling: Having started to spell a word, a contestant may stop and start over, retracing the spelling from the beginning, but in retracing, there can be no change of letters and their sequence from those first

pronounced. If letters or their sequence is changed in the respelling, the contestant will be eliminated.

10. Questions Related to Word Spellings: Any question relating to the spelling of a word should be referred to the judges immediately, before the correct spelling is given.

11. Misspelled Words: Upon missing the spelling of a word, the contestant will be informed by the pronouncer or judge that

the word is incorrect and must immediately drop out of the contest and exit the spelling area to join the audience as a spectator. Competition continues with the next word being given to the next contestant.

12. Final Decisions: The decisions of the judges shall be final on all questions.

END OF BEE PROCEDURES: Once the Bee is down to THREE CONTESTANTS

A. If all spellers in a round misspell, all remain in the competition and a new round begins with the spellers spelling in their original order

B. If only one speller spells correctly in a round, a new one-word round begins and the speller is given an opportunity to spell the next word on the list (anticipated winning word). If the speller succeeds in correctly spelling the anticipated winning word in this one-word round, the spelletr is decalred the champion.

C. If the speller misspells the anticipates winning word in a one-word round, the new round begins with all of the spellers who spelled correctly and incorrectly in the previous round: These spellers spell in their original order.

(Directly from Scripps)

NJSFWC Spelling Bee 4th and 5th Grade

Practice Word List

Page 11 of 14

master

feud

linguistic

zigzagged

fledgling

trout

demonstrate

advice

lemonade

prominent

knoll

plenty

jealous

knock

gigantic

impetigo

winter

company

Maryland

implicit

incarcerate

Friday

tropical

exaggerate

hurricane

coordination

fractional

crocodile

record

outrageous

coincidence

Tuesday

antelope

juice

Kansas

zebra

soccer

lieutenant

puzzle

utilitarian

everybody

eucalyptus

stratosphere

addition

aspire

kilometers

caricature

living

sixty

formula

bobsledding

protein

Idaho

souvenir

vinyl

opinion

blame

exhilarate

acquaintance

personnel

library

assignment

tangibility

parent

chauffeur

janitor

NJSFWC Spelling Bee 4th and 5th Grade

Practice Word List

Page 12 of 14

intelligent

proprietor

ponytail

cheerful

haunted

pickle

accessory

felonious

dumpling

brogue

verbatim

carpet

December

kayak

vowel

accent

warrant

cholesterol

epilepsy

circle

coffee

overcoat

flourish

cartoon

farfetched

robot

Thursday

referee

squeak

xylophone

forty

antiseptic

treacherous

badminton

spelunking

object

diagram

videotape

twelfth

fastidious

scratch

Kentucky

sojourn

lilies

planet

conclusion

gasoline

tundra

remainder

geranium

oyster

travesty

depiction

golden

turquoise

Pluto

parallel

scarlet

biology

millennium

understand

paralysis

highway

carbohydrate

fuel

niece

complexion

impervious

noxious

NJSFWC Spelling Bee 4th and 5th Grade

Practice Word List

Page 13 of 14

softness

kindergarten

squeezed

New York

separately

escape

reservoir

astrology

heroes

permission

winning

facilitator

novel

wrecked

voyage

visit

imaginary

howitzer

impossible

unkindness

parishioner

metallic

ambush

eleven

flamboyantly

refrigerator

convertible

generous

philosopher

daring

pirate

embarrass

cellular

vegetable

digital

avalanche

saxophone

irk

overbear

bureaucracy

controversy

catastrophe

skiing

Hawaii

foreshadow

reactionary

acquainted

colony

relic

foreign

preacher

minutemen

centennial

thieves

soybean

aardvark

auxiliary

vague

responsible

gymnastic

vinegar

terrier

pawn

bachelor

mountain

hemisphere

continent

recapitulate

escalator

NJSFWC Spelling Bee 4th and 5th Grade

Practice Word List

Page 14 of 14

proboscis

paramedic

sincerely

electron

gradient

negotiator

duet

intercom

February

hilarious

Utah

teeth

Pennsylvania

gladiator

New Hampshire

frightening

lightning

melody

cello

blizzard

paleontology

dinosaur

package

utilization

dehydration

ionosphere

prominent

bass

acknowledgment

adjourn

omitted

loquacious

accordion

domesticate

hoax

corduroy

schedule

shadow

lozenge

cough

monosyllable

quarrel

psychology

sweater

unscrupulous

ingenious

parenthesize

technique

stenographer

photosynthesis

trapped

reservation

Rhode Island

architect

preferential

configuration

reminisce

confabulation

chocolate