California Central Valley Spelling Bee

Published: Thursday, May. 17, 2007

Nearly 60 students compete each year in the oral California Central Valley Spelling Bee.

California Central Valley Spelling Bee

The Sacramento Bee is proud to offer students an opportunity to participate in the California Central Valley Spelling Bee. The champion will win an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 28 and 29, 2008.

The California Central Valley Spelling Bee is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at the Scottish Rite Center, located at 6151 H Street in Sacramento (near C.S.U.S.). The event is open to the general public. There is no cost.

Written Spelling Bee

Any student planning to participate in the California Central Valley Spelling Bee must first pass the written spelling bee. There were 101 students who took the written bee on January 5, 2008. Of those students, 64 scored high enough to advance to the oral spelling bee on February 13. (read more)

Spelling Bee Registration

To get involved in the spelling bee, schools must enroll with the Scripps National Spelling Bee by the October 15 each year. A representative from your school should register at www.spellingbee.com. Your registration guarantees participation in the California Central Valley Spelling Bee, and you'll receive online access the 2008 School Pronouncer Guide plus three grade-specific levels of the new 2008 Classroom Pronouncer Guide. There is a $99 enrollment fee per school. After you register through the Scripps National Spelling Bee, a representative from the California Central Valley Spelling Bee will contact your school's spelling bee coordinator to complete the process.

Levels of Competition

There are four levels of competition. The first level happens at your school. Your school's spelling bee coordinator, teaching staff, parent volunteers and principal should work together to determine the best method of selecting the top speller at your school. Many schools conduct their own school-wide spelling bees.

The best speller from each school will advance to the next round, a written test, which just took place on January 5, 2008. One speller from each school may attend (we limit it to one because there are more than 600 schools participating).

The third level of competition is the regional oral spelling bee. The students with the highest scores on the written test will be invited to participate in the oral competition on Wednesday, February 13 at the Scottish Rite Center in Sacramento. The general public is invited to attend.

The winner of the oral spelling bee will represent the Central Valley region at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. (expenses paid by The Sacramento Bee). The national spelling bee is a two-day event in May 2008.

For more information about the California Central Valley Spelling Bee, please contact Molly Evangelisti, the Spelling Bee Director, at (916) 321-1787, or by email at molly@sacbeemail.com.

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