It's Time to Continue Studying (Even if Many Have Been Studying for a While)

Since my friend advanced to the school bee she has been studying with vigor. She wants to do very well in the entire contest, even if it is not the semifinals of the National Spelling Bee. I told her that making it to semifinals is probably the most difficult part of the Bee, because of the Round 1 test. She reads a lot in her spare time, and that is where a lot of words in the Round 1 test are drawn from (epilepsy, tutelage, electromagnetic, and others).

My sister is also studying for the Bee, and she wants to advanced to the championship finals of the Bee. This is a problem, because my friend and sister both go to the same school. The only way they can both make it to the national level is by being co-champions at the school and local level. My sister has four years, while my friend has three years, so they are still pretty young.

This brings me to my friend's sister who is only eight and in the third grade (she's too young, unfortunately). She can already spell words such as xanthosis, huapango, logorrhea, devoir, and a lot of other words. Her favorite word is kwashiorkor.

Continue studying spellers, and I hope to see you all next year at the National Spelling Bee!

Late Registration Deadline Ends Today

   If you want to make it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee make sure your school is signed up. Check to see if your school is enrolled for the 2012 Bee: https://secure.spellingbee.com/enrollment/check. If not, you may want to contact your school RIGHT NOW and sign your school up for the Scripps National Spelling Bee program If your school is enrolled it will be highlighted in green.

   This year will be very exciting, so good luck to you all!

Science-Related Terms/Science Fair

Here are some science-related terms:

phthisis
electromagnetic
apparatus
anthropometry
lumbago
clavicle
photosynthesis
adenosine
polysaccharide
fibromyalgia
resonance
decibel


The reason why I have not been posting a lot lately, because I have been very busy working on homework, but mostly my science fair project. I did my project on wood soundboard resonance. I had to find out which wood made the most resonant soundboard using what I had. I used a music box, a sound meter, and different types of wood. The category this went into was Physics (not my favorite, but very challenging). It seems as if I have gone from the Spelling Bee to the Science Fair.

I will try to post more often from now on!

Good luck spellers!

Deadline for Late Enrollment Coming Up!/Classroom and School Bees

Make sure your school is enrolled by December 16, because that is when the late enrollment closes. To see if your school is enrolled click on the link and type in your school's zipcode: https://secure.spellingbee.com/enrollment/check%20If If your school is not enrolled yet talk to your principal or one of your teachers (most likely your English teacher).

Many classroom and school bees have been conducted already. My friend just had her classroom bee yesterday, and she made it to the school level (in fourth and fifth grade she placed very high at the school level). This year she is determined to make it to regionals then perhaps nationals. She has 2012-2014 to try to win the Bee.

My sister's class bee will be in early January, then the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will compete about a week later. My sister wants to make it to nationals and advance to the championship finals. She has 2012-2015 to try to win.

As for my other friends from other schools, their classroom and school Bees are not going to be conducted until January, but I still wish them the best of luck!

Thanksgiving Terms/Being Thankful

Sorry that I have not posted for a while. Here are some terms related to Thanksgiving:

pilgrims
turkey
thankfulness
hunting
cornucopia
leaves
colonist
gratitude
cider
harvest
blessings
casserole
celebrate
drumstick

I am thankful for many things, including shelter, friends and family, and food. But since this blog is about the Spelling Bee I will thank the many companies, friends and family, and other people who encouraged me to continue on:

Tia Thomas - for encouraging me during and after my spelling bee career
My family - for coaching me along the way and always telling me to do my best
Hexco - for the amazing products that helped me do my best in the Bee
Visual Thesaurus - for letting me practice my spelling skills with the Spelling See
My Teachers - for teaching me great study skills that I used for the Bee and now
All Spellers - for always doing you best and reaching your goals
The International Children's Choir - for teaching me many languages that were very beneficial to me in the Bee
My friends - for being cheerleaders that encouraged me to always do my best

Thank you all! Spell on!

It is Time for a Fresh Start

Many schools and school districts have ended the first quarter of the school year. Ask yourself, "How did I do last quarter, and how can I do better next quarter?" During my spelling bee career I reviewed how well I studied every quarter. If I did not do well one quarter I try to improve the next quarter. It is the same with school. Even if you received all A's there is always room for improvement. For example, "I must manage my time better while taking tests."

The Spelling Bee taught me great studying techniques that help me do my homework and study for tests. For example, "Writing down words several times helps me remember them better, and when I study for tests I write down facts several times."

You should set goals, and stay on top of things. If you want to read my post about setting goals click on the link: http://annespellingbee.blogspot.com/2011/07/setting-goals-has-great-rewards.html.

Remember to find time to do homework, activities, and spelling.

Good luck, and continue studying!

Happy Birthday to "The Phantom of the Opera"!/Music to My Ears!

Belated Happy Birthday to The Phantom of the Opera! On October 9 the show turned twenty-five, and celebrated the show on October 1-2. I think the show is spectacular, the costumes are lavish, the sets are extravagant, and so much more to describe it!

Why am I talking about this? If you have seen the musical, read the book, and/or seen the various versions of movies you may know that it takes place in France. Since the most famous version of the show is the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, here are some musical terms:

Dixieland
descant
monotonic
subinterval
choral
cadence
cadenza
adagio
schmaltz
attacca
gravicembalo
psalmist
brilliante
skirl
cantillate
fortississimo
guaracha
lacrimando
piacevole
passacaglia
appoggiatura
euterpean
ossia
sfogato