Students participating in the county spelling bee this year won't have to buy a book to learn the words.
They can download them online or just print them off at www.spellingbee.com
"It's just easier for the kids," said Madison Elementary School Principal Jeff Neumann. If a student doesn't have access to a computer at home, he said they can print them out at their school.This is the first year schools had to pay a fee to enter the Scripps National Spelling Bee. However, Neumann said Kosciusko REMC is reimbursing schools as part of their contribution.
The Kosciusko County spelling bee is Feb. 4 and 6.
On Feb. 4, spellers in fifth and sixth grade will compete. On Feb. 6, spellers in seventh and eighth grade will face off. After the middle school spelling bee, the top elementary and the top middle school spellers will face off.
Both nights will be held at 7 p.m. in the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center.
The winner then moves on to the Area Spelling Bee at the Anthis Career Center, Fort Wayne, on March 15.
For the county spelling bee, contestants will represent HELPS Homeschool Group; Akron, Mentone, Milford, North Webster, Pierceton South Whitley, Syracuse, Triton, Eisenhower, Harrison, Jefferson, Leesburg, Lincoln, Madison, Washington elementary schools; Sacred Heart School; Tippecanoe Valley, Wawasee, Whitko, Edgewood, Lakeview middle schools; Triton Jr.-Sr. High; and Warsaw Christian School.
In 2007, Lakeview Middle School seventh-grader Liesl Schroedl won the county spelling bee and was the runner-up in the Journal Gazette 53rd Annual Area Spelling Bee. Winner was Ray Pigmon, an eighth-grader from Edgerton Local Schools, Williams County.
Pigmon won the bee in Round 41. Schroedl was eliminated in Round 40 after she misspelled inaugurator. Pigmon won by correctly spelling Nostradamus. Pigmon represented northeast Indiana at the 80th Annual Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Schroedl advanced to the area competition after beating Washington Elementary sixth-grader Tim Ahlersmeyer during the Kosciusko County spelling bee in January 2007. They went 50 rounds before Schroedl came out on top.
In the 50th round, Ahlersmeyer, who went first for each round, misspelled his word. Schroedl then correctly spelled exacerbate and kohlrabi for the championship win.
Liesl was the county champion speller for a second time in 2007, having won in 2006 as a Sacred Heart School sixth-grader.
According to the spelling bee Web site, the program is open to elementary and middle school students.
The Louisville Courier-Journal started the event with nine contestants in 1925. In 1941 Scripps assumed sponsorship of the program. There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee during the World War II years of 1943, 1944, and 1945. Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957 and 1962. Of the 83 champions, 43 have been girls and 40 have been boys.
