Eligibility:

Participation in the “Booksville” Spelling Bee is open to all children in Kindergarten through Senior year who attend public, private, or homeschool settings within Hernando County.

Before the Spelling Bee Starts:

• Registration Table: Contestants will be greeted at the registration table upon arrival, where they will receive their Spelling Bee number tag to wear throughout the event.

• Event Start Time: The Spelling Bee will start at 2:00 PM. Parents and children will be able to review the rules before the event begins.

• Panel of Officials: The Spelling Bee will be overseen by:

  • Host: The event's main facilitator

  • Announcer: Responsible for stating and pronouncing all words

  • Judges: Two judges will track time, determine spelling accuracy, and announce disqualified contestants if necessary

  • Volunteer Staff: Additional volunteers will assist with event flow.

• Contestants: All contestants will be seated on stage, awaiting the beginning of the competition. The Host will introduce the event and review the rules before starting.

During the Spelling Bee:

• Contestant Procedure:

  • When a contestant's name is called, they will approach the microphone.

  • Contestants are encouraged to face the judges while pronouncing and spelling the word clearly and loudly enough to be understood.

  • Contestants will have 1 minute to spell the word after the announcer has repeated it.

  • If a contestant does not begin spelling within 30 seconds, the judge will prompt them to begin.

• Audience Etiquette:

  • Contestants must spell words without any assistance from the audience. Any help from the audience will lead to disqualification.

  • The audience is kindly asked to remain seated and quiet to minimize distractions.

• Announcer's Role:

  1. Call the contestant’s name and number.

  2. Pronounce the word (using a recognized dictionary, e.g., Merriam-Webster).

  3. Use the word in a sentence.

  4. Re-pronounce the word for clarity.

  5. After the contestant spells the word, the announcer will:

  • If correct: Announce "That is correct." The contestant returns to their seat.

  • If incorrect: Announce, “I’m sorry, that is incorrect. The correct spelling is [word].” The contestant will leave the stage with their parent/guardian.

Contestant Process and Elimination:

• Spelling Process:

  • Contestants will attend to the announcer while the word is being presented and used in a sentence.

  • They will spell the word aloud and then repeat the word after spelling.

  • If a contestant makes a mistake while retracing the letters of the word, they will be disqualified.

• Elimination:

  • If a contestant does not finish spelling within 60 seconds, they will be disqualified.

  • Once a contestant is disqualified, they will leave the stage and can be escorted off by a parent or guardian.

• Word Presentation:

  • All contestants will be on stage at the same time.

  • Contestants will be called to the podium in the order of their registration number.

  • Contestants will be given words appropriate for their grade level. If they spell the word correctly, they remain on stage; if they spell it incorrectly, they are dismissed.

• Final Round:

  • The competition will continue until there are 3 remaining contestants.

  • The top 3 contestants will be announced as the winners.

Awards:

• The top 3 contestants will receive a cash prize of $100 each, along with an award.

• Winners will have an opportunity to take photos on stage with their awards.

And lastly… Thank You!

Thank you for your participation in the First Annual Booksville Spelling Bee. We appreciate your time and preparation and are excited to see you all at the event!