2013 Paris Spelling Bee “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
Results of the Preliminary Written Round February 4, 2013 Ninety-nine spellers in grades CE2-4eme (3rd-8th grade) packed a gymnasium at Ecole Sainte Catherine in the 5th arrondissement early last Saturday morning to participate in the 6th annual Paris Spelling Bee’s Preliminary Written Round.
- Contestants were divided into two divisions: Gazelles– CE2-CM2 (3rd-5th grade), and Cheetahs– 6ème- 4ème (6th-8th grade).
- 120 children registered for the Preliminary event from 40 different schools in Paris and its environs, including one student from Rennes. 47 children were from private schools, 32 from public and 40 from semi-private. One student registered as a homeschooler.
- 63 of the 78 registered participants in the Gazelles group and 36 of the 42 registered participants in the Cheetahs group turned up for the mandatory written competition where they received a dictation of words.
- The Preliminary Written Round was divided into two sections: the first round consisted of 25 words from a study list provided in advance to participants, and the second round consisted of 10 challenge words not from the study guide.
- 21 finalists from each group were selected based on their marks.
We would like to congratulate all the students who registered, studied and participated in the Preliminary Written Round. Each speller received a certificate of participation to acknowledge how hard they prepared for the written round and how early they had to trek to the venue on a cold Saturday morning. We are especially impressed with children who keep coming back year after year. One family has participated every year since the Spelling Bee began in 2008, and this year has two children in the finals.
Below are the spellers who qualified for the Oral Finals, which will be held on Sunday, April 7, 2013 (10h-16h approx) at the American University of Paris (AUP). There will be a mock (practice) session on Sunday, March 24 (10h-13h) at the AUP for all the finalists to learn useful tips on oral spelling bees, review contest rules and have a chance to meet fellow participants. As the spellers prepare for the finals, we would encourage them not only to memorize the words, but also to learn their meanings and their origins. Finalists in the Gazelle division needed a score of at least 28/35 to qualify and Cheetahs needed 22/35 to qualify.
GAZELLE FINALISTS:
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CHEETAH FINALISTS:
IMPORTANT:Finalists will have until Thursday, February 7, at 19h to confirm by email to parisfrancespellingbee@gmail.com their participation in the Oral Finals of the 2013 Paris Spelling Bee. They must also pay their registration fees, as indicated on the registration forms. The deadline for paying the registration fee is Monday, February 11. If there is no confirmation and payment, that spot will go to the next person with a qualifying mark.
A new study list for the Oral Finals will be made available to all finalists after February 18. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported the efforts of the Paris Spelling Bee, especially the American Library in Paris, which has been very generous to the Bee with its space, time and supplies.
A big thank you to the Spelling Bee Team for making the Preliminary Round possible: Ashley Miller, Kim Siew Ngoh, Amy O’Hara, Naida Kendrick Culshaw, Karen Simpson, Pauline Wong-Lemasson, Jude Smith Matisse, Rose Burke, Amy Bereiter, and Janet Sahin (in the US.) A special thanks to Starbucks for supplying coffee and pastry for all the parents who waited in the chilly gymnasium while their children participated in the event. We are thankful to Eloise Loh, Hazel Tan and Monia Hamani for making sure the coffee arrived and was served on time. We are also grateful to the following volunteers: Loretta Fox, Laetitia Nail, David Whitehouse, Bettina de Catalogne, along with IB students Eva Hachem, Anne Gallego Martin, Elisa Lasry and Leonie Cruanees for helping with preparations, taking care of check-in and supervision at the venue.
Thanks also to Mme Christine Meyrignac, Directrice de l’Ecole Sainte Catherine, for her support of the Bee over the past three years. Last but not least, thank you to all the parents who brought their children to the Preliminary Round and patiently waited until the end.
The Paris Spelling Bee is an annual community enrichment event organized by Gifted in France in collaboration with the The American Library in Paris, and hosted by the American University of Paris. We are grateful to these institutions for their support of the Bee, which is an all-volunteer effort. Best regards, Helen Sahin Connelly Coordinator, Paris Spelling Bee
PARIS FRANCE SPELLING BEE 
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