N.E.W.
Lutheran High Expo
Spelling
Bee Information
Purpose
To promote interest in spelling, provide an
opportunity for students to compete in a supportive environment, and encourage
teamwork between students, teachers, & parents.
Rules
In competition, after the facilitator gives the speller a word, the speller is encouraged to pronounce the word before spelling it and after spelling it. The judges may not disqualify a speller for failing to pronounce the word either before or after spelling it.
The speller may ask the facilitator to repeat the word and define it. The facilitator shall grant such requests until the judges agree that the word has been made reasonably clear to the contestant. The judges may disqualify any speller who ignores a request to start spelling.Having started to spell a word, a speller may stop
and start over, retracing the spelling from the beginning, but in retracing
there can be no change of letters or their sequence from those first pronounced.
If letters or their sequence are changed in the respelling, the speller will be
eliminated.
The contest shall be conducted in rounds. Each
speller remaining in the Spelling Bee at the start of a round shall spell one
word in the round.
If none of the spellers remaining in the Spelling Bee at
the start of a round spells a word correctly during the round, all those who
began the round shall remain in the competition.
If more than one spelling is listed for a word,
any of these spellings will be accepted as correct if the word either matches
the pronunciation and definition provided by the facilitator, or if it is clearly
identified as being a standard variant of the word that the speller has been
asked to spell.
Any question relating to the spelling of a word
should be referred to the judge immediately in writing. The appeal should
consist of: the word in question, the name of the speller, and the reason for
the appeal. A parent, legal guardian, or teacher of the speller may file
appeals. The judges will not regard appeals from any individual seeking to
dislodge another speller from the competition. The deadline for filing an appeal
is before the speller would have received his/her next word had he/she stayed in
the contest.
If a word has one or more homonyms, the facilitator will indicate which word is to be spelled by giving a definition. If the pronouncer does not identify the word properly, the correct spelling of any homonym of the word will be accepted.
The judges are in complete control of the competition. Their decision shall be final on all questions.
Words are judged based on official American spellings only (Webster's Dictionary). English spellings are not accepted in place of American spellings.
Each participant will receive a certificate of participation. In each division a ribbon will be awarded to the top three participants. In the 7th and 8th grade divisions, a scholarship will be awarded to the top participant.