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Dear McNair Upper Families,
We are excited to announce the Scripps National Spelling Bee is returning to McNair Upper ES. Each of these events will be held during the school day. On February 22nd, we will be holding the Classroom Spelling Bee. All McNair Upper ES students are eligible to participate in this event. The winner(s) of this event from each class will advance to the Schoolwide Spelling Bee on February 27th. Both Bees are closed door events and parents are not allowed to attend.
Below you will find important information about the Spelling Bee as well as some attachments to assist your child in preparing for it. Please review them carefully as they have valuable information about the Spelling Bee, how it works, FAQs, and word lists.
- MUES Welcome to the Bee
- Words of the Champions (Optional study list)
- How Does an Oral Bee Work
- School Spelling Bee Study List with Definitions
- Rules for the Local Spelling Bee
If you would like to opt your child out of the classroom Spelling Bee, please email me atcmcredle@fcps.edu.
Thank you,
Mr. Credle
Assistant Principal
WELCOME TO McNair Upper’s SPELLING BEE PROGRAM!
Below is information that should answer some basic questions that you or your child may have about McNair Upper ES’s Spelling Bee Program. Review this document with your child.
The McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee is part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program! As such, the McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee uses exclusively word study materials created and copyrighted by the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program and operates according to the Scripps’ Rules for Local Spelling Bees.
Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged is the official dictionary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program. Only the spellings used by MWU are valid spellings in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program.
PREPARATION INFORMATION
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This is a Spelling Bee only. Scripps has added vocabulary questions to the National Spelling Bee, but we are not doing this.
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Do I need to do anything to prepare my child to participate in the Spelling Bee? No, there is nothing required to participate in the Spelling Bee. If your child wants to practice, have them review the 2023 Words of the Champions list with definitions first, however, this is optional.
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Not all of the words at the McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee will be from the Word Lists provided. Scripps supplies both the official Word Study List as well as the list of words that will be used during the McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee.
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The Spelling Bee will start with words from the Word Study List, and as the Bee goes on, the words will steadily increase in difficulty. If there are a lot of spellers and/or the spellers are well-prepared, the spellers still competing in the later rounds of the Bee may reach the “Challenge” section of the competition list. These are words that the spellers have not had a chance to study and will test their word skills and ability to puzzle out the correct answer by using their Speller’s Questions.
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Do not assume that your child will receive words only at his/her grade level. As the Bee progresses, the word difficulty increases. If your child wants to study, strongly encourage him/her to study the Word List beyond his/her current grade level.
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It is your child’s responsibility to be familiar with the Rules for Local Spelling Bees before the Bee competition. Review the Rules for Local Spelling Bees with your student. I will summarize key Rules for the spellers on Bee Day, but it will not be an exhaustive review.
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Your child may opt out of the Bee. The McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee is an optional activity. It is supposed to be an interesting challenge for your child, but it is also supposed to be fun. If you would like to opt your child out of the Spelling Bee, please email me at cmcredle@fcps.edu.
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It's OK not to study. Your child will have more success at the Spelling Bee if he or she practices with the Word Lists beforehand, but it is not necessary. If your child wants to drop out because he or she has not studied, please encourage him or her to stay in just for the experience.
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Is my child allowed to appeal a spelling? No, there will be no appeals allowed during the Classroom or Schoolwide Spelling Bee.
DAY-OF-BEE PROTOCOL
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What should a speller wear? School-appropriate clothing that is comfortable to sit in. There is no need to dress more formally unless a student would like to do so.
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The Rules and Procedures will be reviewed before the Bee. After all participants are seated, but before the Bee begins, the Rules for Local Spelling Bees will be briefly summarized, and students may ask questions. Please go over the Rules and procedures (“How Does an Oral Bee Work?” with your child beforehand so that this time can be used efficiently.
- Competitors are seated by grade level, youngest to oldest: 3rd - 4th – 5th - 6th
Within each grade, students will be seated randomly. They will not be seated in alphabetical order.
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Competitors will be "retired" from the Bee in groups as the Bee continues. When a student misspells a word, s/he is out of the Bee, but s/he will not leave the seating area until his/her number is called to “retire”. Students will be "retired" in groups as necessary throughout the Bee so that no one will have to wait too long.
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When can a student leave? Retired students either may stay to watch the Bee or may return to class.
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Your Bee officials are all volunteers as well as local parents. Our Spelling Bee is conducted under the auspices of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Program, but it is run entirely by staff members and volunteers from our school. These volunteers have donated their time to give your child a good experience.
Question still unanswered?
Please contact me at cmcredle@fcps.edu
Cliff Credle
Coordinator, 2023 McNair Upper ES Spelling Bee Program
How Does an Oral Bee Work 2023.docx
2023_Words_of_the_Champions.pdf
2023 Suggested Rules for Spelling Bees.pdf
2022-2023 School Spelling Bee Study List with Definitions (1).pdf
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