Spelling bee to begin with district contests
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
Although it's far too simple a word for their swollen vocabularies, Hawai'i students will start spelling their way to v-i-c-t-o-r-y as the road to the 18th annual Hawai'i State Spelling Bee begins Thursday.
The bee features the state's top spellers in grades seven and eight.
Seven districts will hold spelling bees, with each district champion and runner-up qualifying for The Honolulu Advertiser State Spelling Bee, which will be shown on KFVE at 5 p.m. March 30.
Last year's district winners advanced to the state competition on such brainteasers as "isogram," "oscillation," "allemande" and "bagatelle."
The 14 district winners will receive gifts from Sears, Island Heritage, Consolidated Theatres and Anderson News Co., along with spelling-bee merchandise.
Supporting sponsors for this year's state competition are Island Heritage, Aloha Airlines and CompUSA.
The State Spelling Bee champion also wins an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in May; a Webster's Third New International Dictionary; a $200 Sears merchandise certificate; a $100 U.S. savings bond from Jay Sugarman; a PDA hand-held computer from Radio Shack; a $100 cash award from Dede and James Sutherland; and a gift basket from Island Heritage.
Travel for Neighbor Island participants is sponsored by Aloha Airlines.
The district bee schedule is:
- Central district, 7 p.m. Thursday, Aliamanu Middle School cafeteria.
- Kaua'i district, 6 p.m. Thursday, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School cafeteria.
- Windward district, 6 p.m. Feb. 19, Le Jardin Academy multipurpose room.
- Maui district, 6 p.m. Feb. 20, Baldwin High School multipurpose room.
- Hawai'i district, 1 p.m. Feb. 22, Hilo High School auditorium.
- Honolulu district, 2 p.m. Feb. 22, Sacred Hearts Academy conference room.
- Leeward district, 7 p.m. Feb. 28, Kapolei Middle School cafeteria.
Correction: A previous version of this story listed the incorrect time of one district spelling bee. The central district competition is at 7 p.m. Thursday at Aliamanu Middle School.
