LAST UPDATED: MARCH 10, 9:38 PM
LOCATION:
McKimmon Center 1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh, NC Directions: https://mckimmoncenter.ncsu.edu/mctc/directions/ |
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Arrive between 8:15 AM and 8:30 AM Bee begins promptly at 9 AM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/298848897477076/ |
FAQs for Champions
Confirm your details here:
Please check the spelling of your name as registered (provided to us by your school). Alert us at info@wakepage.org to the correction by specifically noting the incorrect information as shown and what the necessary correction is.
When do I need to arrive?
Registration begins at 8:15. The bee begins promptly at 9:00 AM. We recommend arriving no later than 8:30 AM to shake off the nerves and get the lay of the land.
What do I wear?
We will provide a short-sleeved t-shirt to all spellers at the event. Spellers should change into the shirts or put the shirts on over their other shirts. They will wear their speller numbers on the front of the shirt so as to be clearly displayed. Otherwise, just wear comfortable layers.
How does the day work?
Spellers will find their seats and get ready for the bee to begin. All spellers should be in their seats by 8:55 AM. (There will be volunteers throughout the day to help you know where to go.)
At 9:00 AM, the written portion of the spelling bee will begin. The first portion consists a written spelling and vocabulary test. We use this portion and an initial oral round of one word per speller to determine the top 20 spellers (up to 25 allowing for ties) to advance to the finals round. The exact time of the finals round depends on the morning schedule and a lunch break.
Where can I find information to study for the bee?
Visit the national spelling bee online at www.spellingbee.com. Your school registered with spellingbee.com in order to ensure the winner of your school bee was eligible for the PAGE 2020 Bee. The teacher tab at spellingbee.com has resources for preparation. Your school coordinator should share the appropriate study tips and lists with your champion. Remember that the words in the PAGE 2020 Bee are not on an advertised list and spelling bees are not won based purely from memorization. Merriam-Webster's dictionary is the official dictionary of the bee and will be the final authority on correct spellings.
Will all words at the bee be in the study materials?
No. Words at the bee are from Scripps, and they are not guaranteed to be available in study materials. Focus on learning word lists but also looking at prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Scripps recommends books that spellers can read to give them a deeper overall mastery of spelling, but they do not offer the list of words to be spelled in advance.
Can people come to watch?
Absolutely! While the written portion does not permit an audience, the oral rounds do. Visitors may sit in the auditorium during the written portion (participants will be in a separate room at this time). Oral rounds are conducted in the auditorium and the audience will be able to see all spellers. You may wish to advise your speller's cheering section to arrive at 1:15 PM after the lunch break.
What do I need to bring with me?
If you do not return the photo permission release by email before the Bee, please bring it with you. Otherwise, you don't need to bring anything. In fact, you cannot take anything with you into the written portion of the Bee.
Are there any forms I need to complete?
We do have a photo release. A parent or guardian must sign it prior to the Bee's start time. They will be available at registration. You can download our release at the bottom of this page.
Where can I park?
The McKimmon Center has a dedicated parking lot with plenty of spots for you to park.
Can parents leave during the written portion?
Each student must have one parent or guardian on site with them. While the students complete the written portions, they will be in a different room than spectators.
Where can I find day-of announcements on 3/14/2020?
Please plan to view our site during the bee. We have a page set aside for this use and you can bookmark it now: https://www.wakepage.org/314. Day-of announcements will be posted on this site.
What if my speller is ill?
Please notify us in advance (email info@wakepage.org) if your champion will not be attending. Due to the need to stem the spread of flu and coronavirus, we specifically ask that no person who is ill or who has knowingly been exposed to recent COVID-19 or flu attend. Health is more important than a spelling bee, even if it's disappointing to miss such an event. Additionally, we will make minor changes during the bee, such as instructing spellers not to touch the microphone, and asking that people not shake hands/ high five, etc. Feel free to bring hand sanitizer, wipes, etc., and spellers will be provided abundant opportunity to wash hands.
Please read our notification regarding COVID-19.
What about lunch?
The sponsorship funds we received this year were just enough for the venue rental, shirts, and the Scripps fee. In the future, we'd love to be able to fund lunch. For now, there are ample places to eat on Western Boulevard within a mile of McKimmon.
Who sponsors the bee?
We are completely reliant upon our sponsors to make the bee happen. We are so grateful for our sponsors and request that you check out their information on this page. Please support them as they have supported us!
How can we help out the spelling bee?
We're glad you asked! PAGE is an all-volunteer organization, and we host the bee and our Super Saturday events, which is a day of workshops geared toward gifted K-8 students held in April/May and October each year. We always welcome help with planning any of these events and have jobs large and small if you'd like to help out.
We also need money. The spelling bee is a massive financial undertaking for such a small organization. It costs around $7,500 each year with the largest costs being the venue, t-shirts, and the local sponsorship fee we owe to Scripps.
When is the Scripps National Spelling Bee?
National Finals Bee Week 2020 will take place the week of Memorial Day, May 24 through May 29, at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Our exact competition days will be available at spellingbee.com beginning May 1, 2020.
What if I have other questions?
Email info@wakepage.org with questions. Please remember that the spelling bee is being organized by a single volunteer. We will try to be in touch promptly!
2020 Champions: We wish you the best of luck!
This form will be provided at registration. It must be signed in order to participate. You may choose to print and sign prior the bee and bring it with you. We require physical, non-digitally created signatures. Thank you.
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