Once again this year, WHRO Public Media is proud to sponsor the regional competition for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. But before any student can get there, they have to win their school's spelling bee and then compete in our regional competition in the spring!

Is your school participating? Make sure you are representing by enrolling your school.

The regional spelling bee is set to take place on March 31, 2022. The champion of our local competition will represent our region in the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Prizes for our area’s top speller will include an expenses-paid trip to the national competition.

Visit the SpellingBee website and encourage your school to sign up. The deadline to enroll your school is December 31.


Details For Your School:

When you enroll your school in the spelling bee program, your teachers receive materials for conducting classroom and school spelling bees, supplemental word meaning and reading lists, and information about how school champions can continue on in further levels of competition, potentially to our national finals in Washington, D.C.

Schools that enroll in the 2022 Bee program receive the following benefits:

  • Exclusive online access to the teachers-only section of spellingbee.com
  • Official pronouncer guides for use in conducting classroom and school spelling bees
  • The Great Words, Great Works reading list with all source books, organized by reading level
  • Supplemental vocabulary materials for classroom and school levels.
  • Customizable certificates for your participants and school champion
  • Britannica Online for Kids: A one-year subscription to Britannica Online for Kids to award to a participant in your school's spelling bee program. If your school enrolls on or before September 30, your school receives TWO one-year subscriptions to Britannica Online for Kids.
  • Study Materials: The 4,000-word Words of the Champions study guide for school champions that includes the 450-word School Spelling Bee Study List.

The deadline to enroll your school is December 31.

ENROLL TODAY!

 


Parker Muench from Hampton Roads Academy, in Newport News, was last year's champion for our area.

A Few Fun Facts:

  • The National Spelling Bee began in 1925 when nine newspapers joined together to host a spelling bee. Little did they know that 90 years later their literacy effort would reach 11 million students each year.
  • Eight spellers conquered eight championship words to make history in 2019. What were they? Auslaut. Erysipelas. Bougainvillea. Aiguillette. Pendeloque. Palama. Cernuous. Odylic.
  • The French word connoisseur has been the most frequently used word on Scripps National Spelling Bee word lists.
  • There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee from 1943-1945. It was called off due to World War II.

The Bee helps students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. In addition to the academic benefits, students also develop important life skills – like goal setting, time management and public speaking – that will help them as they advance in school and eventually to successful careers.


Watch the 2020 competition: