11 Million Students to Participate
For immediate release
Wed, August 20, 2014
(NYSE: SSP)
CINCINNATI – It’s the season of students going back to school to immerse themselves in the study of reading, writing and arithmetic. And as the students hit the books, teachers, school administrators and PTA leaders can hit the web to enroll schools in the 2014-2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
School enrollment takes place exclusively at spellingbee.com. Parents and administrators also can use the search function on the site to see if a school is enrolled.
“We estimate that 11 million students will take part in the program this year,” said Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “Participating schools have the opportunity to start or continue a celebrated academic tradition and shine the light on the achievements of all involved, from individual students to schools and school districts.”
Once enrolled, teachers and administrators have access to a virtual bee-in-a-box, with everything they need to run a classroom or school spelling bee, such as:
Online access to the teachers-only section of spellingbee.com (preview)
Official study lists for students, organized by grade level (sample)
Study materials for each school spelling champion (sample)
The 2015 Classroom Pronouncer Guide (sample)
The 2015 School Pronouncer Guide (sample )
Materials to conduct a Great American SpellCheck fundraiser
Award certificates (sample)
A free one-year subscription to Britannica Online for Kids (a $69.95 value) to use as a spelling bee prize
The early bird enrollment fee is $130 per school. The early bird enrollment period ends on October 15, although schools can enroll through mid-December.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program. And while the Bee has been around for a long time, it’s more than a contest for children. It is a classic element of Americana.
In 2015, students from eight countries will participate in the spelling bee: the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Competitors will come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Department of Defense Schools in Europe.
And through countless spelling bees, the initial group of 11 million participants from coast to coast and around the globe will be whittled to about 300 expert spellers who will compete in May at the 88th annual National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C. area.
This year, for the first time since 1962 – and the fourth time overall – co-champions were declared at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Sriram Hathwar, a 14-year-old speller from Painted Post, New York, spelled “stichomythia,” which is defined as “dialogue especially of altercation or dispute delivered in alternating lines.” And Ansun Sujoe, a 13-year-old speller from Fort Worth, Texas, correctly spelled the word “feuilleton,” which is defined as “a part of a European newspaper or magazine devoted to material designed to entertain the general reader.”
The primetime drama on ESPN led to the Bee being the most tweeted show of the week.
About the Scripps National Spelling Bee:
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program. The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to help students improve spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all of their lives. Visit spellingbee.com for more information about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company.
About Scripps:
The E.W. Scripps Company (https://www.scripps.com/) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, print and digital media brands. Scripps owns 21 local television stations as well as daily newspapers in 13 markets across the United States. It also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses including digital video news service Newsy. Scripps also produces television programming, runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the longtime steward of the nation’s largest, most successful and longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1879, Scripps is focused on the stories of tomorrow.
Contact Chris Kemper, The E. W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3862
Email: [email protected]