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 The Denver Post 72nd Annual Colorado State Spelling Bee will take place on March 10, 2012 at the Colorado Convention Center. The champion of The Denver Post 72nd Annual Colorado State Spelling Bee will win an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee. There will be other prizes for our area’s top spellers, including saving bonds and medals.
In addition to improving students’ spelling skills and increasing their vocabularies, spelling bee participation provides valuable experience in developing poise-a necessary skill for success in public speaking, performing arts and athletics.
In order for your students to participate in The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee program, your school must enroll with the Scripps National Spelling Bee at www.spellingbee.com by the October 17, 2011 deadline.
When you enroll at spellingbee.com and pay the material and enrollment fee of $109, you will receive exclusive online access to the Classroom Pronouncer Guide, the School Pronouncer Guide, study materials, Great American SpellCheck Materials, award certificates and local spelling bee program information.
When you register your finalist (s) for the The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee, each school or student will need to pay a $20.00 entry fee per speller qualifying for state to The Denver Post. The address to mail the check and entry fee is listed on this entry form.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STATE SPELLING BEE:
To compete in The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee, public school students should participate in classroom-level contests and proceed through preliminary contests culminating at the district level. Each district may enter one student for each 2,500 or fraction thereof. The maximum number of students a district may enter is 25. Smaller school districts are encouraged to combine with each other for preliminary contests.
The number of students eligible is based on the district’s K-12 enrollment, as listed in the Colorado Education Directory. Please contact your district office for further information on how your district selects students for the state spelling bee.
We recommend that private schools hold combined preliminary spelling bees. If this is not possible, private schools may send one student per school.
Home school students should also participate in a preliminary competition. The Christian Home Educators Association coordinates a spelling bee for home school students. For information about this competition, please call (720) 842-4852.
All eligible students with the exception of previous state winners have an opportunity to participate. Previous winners may not compete again. This rule has been in effect for The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee since 1997.
The spelling bee is primarily for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. Students in the 4th and 5th grades may also participate in the bee. We do not advise the participation of students in earlier grades. The speller must attend a school that officially enrolled with the Scripps National Spelling Bee before the October 17, 2011 enrollment deadline. The speller must not have passed beyond the eighth grade on or before February 1, 2012. The speller must not have reached his/her 15th birthday on or before August 31, 2011.
The speller, their parents, educators, relatives, or acquaintances must not have obtained a copy of the 2012 School Pronouncer Guide for use in studying.
Also please be aware that the pronouncer and judges will not entertain root word questions, and that the judges are in complete control of the competition. Their decision shall be final on ALL questions.
Also enclosed is an entry form for the 2012 Colorado State Spelling Bee. Once students have completed participation in preliminary competitions, the entry form should be returned to The Denver Post. WE MUST HAVE ENTRY FORMS BY Monday, February 20, 2012 OR WE WILL NOT GUARANTEE ENTRY INTO THE DENVER POST COLORADO STATE SPELLING BEE. Once we receive the entry form, we will send an informational mailing about The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee to the student’s home address and/or email.
We are extremely dependent on school officials to monitor and grade the written tests. Teachers who do not have a student in the bee and are interested in helping should contact Carol Cline at (303) 954-2673 prior to February 29, 2012. Lunch will be provided to volunteer monitors and graders.
The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee’s success depends on your support and that of many other public, private and home schools across the state of Colorado. We appreciate your continued participation in this worthwhile academic program.
Please make copies of this information and distribute it to those who coordinate the spelling bee at your school. If you need additional information about The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee, please contact Carol Cline at (303) 954-2673 or email her at ccline@denverpost.com.
You can also check out www.spellingbee.com for other items.
The Denver Post Colorado State Spelling Bee is proudly sponsored by Metropolitan State College of Denver and Southwest Airlines..
Click here for this information in letter form.
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