More Local Spelling Bees - 72 More Days Until Nationals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There will be more final local spelling bees soon, and many spellers have already qualified for nationals. I wish everyone the best of luck!

The Canspell National Spelling Bee will take place on March 28. The top three spellers from Canada will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Good luck to the 21 spellers!

http://www.canada.com/canspell/COUNTDOWN+CANSPELL+Announcing+Finalists+2012+Postmedia+Canspell+Final+Toronto/6309408/story.html

The Utah Valley Spelling Bee will be on March 17 at the Scera Theatre in Orem. (I got the date wrong on an earlier post, so please ignore that other post). Whoever wins that Bee will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Bee Week is 72 days away!

Youngest Speller EVER to Advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Never underestimate anyone younger than you. Sriram Hathwar used to hold the record of being the youngest speller at the Scripps National Spelling Bee when he was eight (second grade), but someone younger has made it to nationals this year: Lori Anne Madison (only six-years-old and in the second grade). She also competed last year (I assume it was when she was five). That was even before I began studying for the National Spelling Bee!

http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2012/mar/09/8/lori-anne-madison-6-wins-prince-william-spelling-b-ar-1754744/

And the Salt Lake Valley Champion is.../Utah and the Bee

This is a first time a speller from Utah has made it to the National Spelling Bee twice since 2006-2007. The champion is Vismaya Kharkar! My friend told me that she was the champion! She began competing in 2009, and she advanced to nationals in 2011. Unfortunately, she did not advance to semifinals last year, but I have a strong feeling that she will this year!

It's not only Vismaya this year, but Jared Ward of Southeastern Utah made it back to nationals this year, too! There are two 2-peats from Utah this year (this has never happened)! Good luck, and I will be rooting for both of you!

I think the 2011-2012 Bees have had strong spellers from Utah! Last year, Anna-Marie Sprenger of Provo, Utah (Daily Herald), advanced to the semifinals, being the first speller from Utah to advance to that level ever since the beginning of the notorious written test in 2002. Unfortunately, she will not be able to return this year, because she is too old to compete. From 2009 and 2010, I remember that there were spellers who represented the same sponsor as Anna-Marie, who would still have a few more years to compete. I do not remember their names, but this year one is a seventh grader and the other is an eighth grader. If one of those two return to nationals, there will be three 2-peats.

The Bee will be very exciting this year!

2012 Salt Lake Valley Spelling Bee/Tips/Sorry I Haven't Been Writing Lately/Updates

Spellers from the Salt Lake Valley, be prepared on March 10 (Saturday), because it is time to determine the speller who will be competing at the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee! There will be 75 schools competing (that's about five less than last year).

Date: March 10, 2012

Location: Juan Diego Catholic High School - 300 East 11800 South, Draper, Utah 84020

Time: 8:30 A.M. (make sure you are there earlier if you are a participant)

I do not know if I will be there, but I wish you all the best of luck to you and other spellers from around the world!

Past Champions:

2009 - Henry Korous

2010 - Miranda Hulsey

2011 - Vismaya Kharkar

Tips

After the pronouncer says the word to you:

• Say the word back to him/her.
• Ask questions: definition, origin, part of speech, sentence, and alternate pronunciations.
• Make sure you think hard.
• If you are in the middle of a word and need to start over, say, "May I please start over", and make sure you retrace the letters you first said, because once you say a letter, it cannot be taken back.
• Say the word, spell it, then say the word again (saying the word before and after spelling is not required, but it is best so the judges know when you start and finish)
• Take all the time you need (for several bees), but at the national competition the time limit is 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

As you spell the word do not be nervous or think about anything else. Completely block out the audience and focus on the word.

Good luck and have fun!

By the way, I have not been writing as much lately, because I have been busy with studies, choir, school, activities, helping spellers study, and a lot more. 

• This was my first year doing the science fair, and I advanced to the district level (some of my friends took many years to even reach this level). Unfortunately, I was a few points away from advancing to the regional science fair, which is the final level before the international level. I have already started my project for next year. 
• I advanced to the state level (also the final level) of Art Inspirations in two categories: Literature and Music Composition.
• I sang at several 10th Anniversary 2002 Winter Olympics Events.
• I had to do registration for classes next year (don't expect me to post a lot next year with a lot college credit (AP) and honors classes).

Spelling Bee Musical

I do not know how accurate the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is compared to many local competitions of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but I heard it is a great musical. About a year ago, I learned that one of my favorite songs (Spelling Bee Rules) is in that musical. Spelling Bee Rules has been used at several of the national spelling bees.


Lyrics
Now for the official spelling bee rules (ding!)
A speller (repeat)
May ask questions (repeat)
About the words pronunciation and definition (definition)
Its use in a sentence (in a sentence)
And its language of origin (language of origin)
Once you start to spell a word you may start over,
but the sequence of the letters already spoken may not be changed.


There is also a lot of audience participation, and a lot of times characters drop the "fourth wall" (an imaginary wall keeping performers from directly addressing or recognizing their audience). The audience members are treated as audience members in a fictitious spelling bee. There are many examples, such as one of the characters refering to an age-appropriate woman near the stage as his mother.

This summer I may have a chance to see it in Southern Utah. I assume it's also to celebrate the 85th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Speller Makes it Back After Missing 2011/Five-Peats

As I was searching for spelling bee articles of recent local bees, I came across one that might interest others. The sister Kavya Shivashankar (2009 National Spelling Bee Champion), Vanya, will be heading back to Washington, D.C. for the second time. She missed the 2011 Bee, but she is back this year. She is a contender for that trophy, and I wish her good luck!

http://www.kmbc.com/r/30420304/detail.html

There may be two five-peats this year: Nicholas Rushlow and Rahul Malayappan. Unfortunately this is their last year, so they are contenders as well. There have not been any five-peats since 2008, and there has been only one five-peat champion (2006 - Kerry Close).

Good luck to all of you, and if one of my friends make it, I'll see you at nationals!

Congratulations to the First National Qualifier!

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120202/lead/lead1.html

The Bee is getting closer all the time! A speller from Jamaica has qualified to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. From past years spellers from Jamaica have done exceptionally well at the National Spelling Bee, but in 1998 Jody-Ann Maxwell won the Scripps National Spelling Bee!

Good luck to the rest of the spellers competing!