It’s spelling bee time
While there was a lot of anticipation, no one at the Herald-Star or in the group of local educators who helped to organize the competition was really sure how the area’s foray into the national spelling bee would eventually play out.
As it turns out, there was little reason for that concern. Since plans were completed in the fall of 1984 and the first bee was held in the late winter of 1985, the bee has continued to change and grow, and has become one of the region’s top academic competitions.
And that all will make this year’s Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee a special one — when all of the spelling is done on March 8 in the auditorium at Buckeye North Elementary School in Brilliant, it will mark the end of the 40th event in the series.
Counting Jimmy Yoo, who won that first bee, 29 area pupils — 18 girls and 11 boys — have captured the regional title. There have been nine repeat winners, with Erica Williamson of the Edison Local School District claiming three titles in a row in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Brheanna Boyles of Buckeye South Elementary School was the winner of last year’s event.
There have been a lot of changes during those 40 years. When the local bee was first started, it was not an automatic qualifier to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The local winner did get the chance to advance to a larger regional bee in Canton, and the winner there moved on to the Washington, D.C., national event.
That has since changed, and the pupil who wins this year’s regional bee will have the opportunity to participate in the 100th Scripps National Bee. Competition in that event will be held May 27-29 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. That competition will be a part of the annual Bee Week, which will run from May 25-31.
In addition to the spelling, there will plenty of activities for the participants and their families, as well as many opportunities to get to know the other spellers, who will come not just from the United States, but from other part s of the world. According to Scripps, the bee is designed to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.
Scripps estimates that more than 11 million pupils will compete in the program each year. Locally, pupils started the process of preparing for the bee shortly after school opened in August. They have been studying for and participating in home room bees and school bees, which will lead up to district bees, where the top five finishers and an alternate will advance to the regional bee.
Those district bees begin Tuesday, when the Indian Creek event will be held at 6 p.m. at Indian Creek Middle School.
The Edison Local bee will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 14 in the auditorium at Edison High School, with the Buckeye Local Bee scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 15 in the theater at Buckeye Local High School.
Harrison Central High School will be the site of the Harrison Hills City School District bee, which will begin at 6 p.m. Jan. 21, and Harding Middle School will host the Steubenville City Schools bee at 6 p.m. on Jan. 28. The final district bee will be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29, when the Toronto City Schools event is held at 5:30 p.m. at Toronto Junior-Senior High School.
Making the whole process work is a dedicated group representing the schools and the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, with Ron Sismondo, the director of curriculum and professional development, leading the way.
We’re proud to be able to continue to play a role in such an important competition, one that helps teach valuable lessons that will last a lifetime.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)