2012 PARIS SPELLING BEE

Results of the Preliminary Written Round
February 4, 2012

Almost 100 children in grades CE2-4eme (3^rd-8^th grade) packed a gymnasium at Ecole Sainte Catherine in the 5^th arrondissement on one of the coldest mornings of the year for the Preliminary Written Round of the Paris Spelling Bee.

• Sixty-nine of the 82 registered participants in the Gazelles group and 29 of the 36 Cheetahs turned up for the mandatory written competition where children were given a dictation of words.
• Participants were provided with a study list ahead of the event.

• The Preliminary Written Round was divided into two sections: the first round consisted of 25 words from the study list, and the second round included 10 challenge words not from the study guide.
• 20 Finalists from each group were selected based on their marks.
• Over 30 schools were represented.
• Contestants are divided into two divisions: Gazelles– CE2-CM2 (3^rd-5th grade), and Cheetahs– 6ème- 4ème (6^th-8^th grade).

Congratulations to all the students who registered, studied and came to the Preliminary Written Round.

Below are the groups of finalists chosen for the Oral Finals, which will be held on Sunday, March 25, 2012 (10-16h00 approx) at the American University of Paris. There will be a mock/practice session on Sunday, March 11, (10h00-13h00) for all the finalists to learn useful tips on oral spelling bees, review contest rules and have a chance to meet fellow participants. This event will also be held at the American University of Paris.

Below are results for the Cheetahs division:

IMPORTANT: Finalists will have until Thursday, February 9 at15h00 to confirm by email to parisfrancespellingbee@gmail.com their participation in the Oral Finals of the 2012 Paris Spelling Bee. They must also pay their registration fees, as indicated on the registration forms. Deadline for payment of registration is Friday, February 10.  If there is no confirmation and payment, that spot will go to the next person with a qualifying mark. (Checks payable to Gifted in France, 39 ave de Versailles, 75016; same fees apply as the registration for the Preliminary event: 12 euros per child, 8 euros per each additional child in the same family.)
** A new study list for the Oral Finals will be made available to all finalists after February 14.

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 committee members who put in countless hours to make the Preliminary Round possible: Ashley Miller, Kim Siew Ngoh,  Jude Smith, Amy O’Hara, Cate O’Connor (on behalf of the Roaming Schoolhouse), Naida Kendrick Culshaw (on behalf of the ALP) and Janet Sahin in the US.

A special thanks to Starbucks for supplying enough coffee for all the parents who waited in the cold gymnasium while their children participated in the event and to Eloise Loh, Hazel Tan and Rani Kumar of the Singapore Club for making sure the coffee was delivered fresh and served.  We would like to thank the Roaming School House for their generosity in sponsoring the venue for the PSB Preliminary Written Round.  Last but not least, thank you to all the volunteers who came to lend a hand to the organizers, ensuring a smooth registration and testing session:  These volunteers include RSH staff Loretta Fox, Jennie Chiang, Sarah Glynn and Eimear Bowden.  Many thanks also to Julie Harris, Frank Connelly, Matt Benz, Chris Wyckoff, Shannon Connelly and Julia Connelly for helping the morning staff and behind the scenes in preparations.

The Paris Spelling Bee is an annual community enrichment event organized by Gifted in France in collaboration with the American Library in Paris, and hosted by the American University of Paris. We are grateful to both of these institutions for their support of the Bee.

Sincerely,
Helen Sahin Connelly
Coordinator, Paris Spelling Bee

2012 PARIS SPELLING BEE

Results of the Preliminary Written Round

February 4, 2012

Congratulations to all the registered contestants who braved the freezing temperatures on Saturday February 4, to participate in the Preliminary Written Round of the 2012 Paris Spelling Bee.

Results will be emailed to contestants, and finalists will be posted on the blog by Monday February 6, 2012 at 15h00.

The Paris Spelling Bee Team

2012

Paris Spelling Bee

Registration is now closed.
We wish our participants best of luck.

All registered contestants should have received an email confirmation by now. More information coming soon.

The Paris Spelling Bee Team

L-a-b-y-r-i-n-t-h and I-n-d-i-g-e-n-o-u-s
determine the winners at the
4th annual Paris Spelling Bee
***

*****

Thirty-nine finalists from 15 elementary and secondary schools competed in the 4th annual Paris Spelling Bee on Sunday, March 20, held at the American University of Paris.

Spellers were grouped into two divisions: the Gazelles, in third-fifth grades (CE2-CM2), and the Cheetahs, in sixth-eighth grades (6ème-4ème).  Yanis Cavrel, a fourth-grader from Ecole Active Bilingue Victor Hugo, won first prize in the Gazelles group by spelling `Labyrinth’ correctly in the 25th round. Thea Voyles, a fifth-grader from Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine-Manuel (EABJM), took the second-place trophy after dueling with Cavrel for 10 rounds..

In the Cheetahs division, Loic Lescoat, a sixth-grader from EABJM, won first place by correctly spelling his championship word ‘indigenous.’  Seventh-grader Anita Youngblood, from Lycee International St. Germain-en-Laye, took the second-place trophy after a 13-round duel with Lescoat. Youngblood held her ground on words including philippic, tchotchke, aggregate, edelweiss, bezoar, bildungsroman, extravaganza, geothermal, omnivorous, chauvinism and mistletoe, before stumbling on picaresque. Lescoat correctly spelled words including pentathlon, contraband, meistersinger, vivace, maelstrom, pneumatic, algorithm, zeitgeber, mesmerize, fusillade and recidivist. His triumph comes two years after he won first place in the Gazelles group at the 2009 Paris Spelling Bee.

In the Gazelles division, after 10 spellers were still standing into the 15th round, judges moved off the study list provided to participants to the ‘surprise word list.’

Cavrel and Voyles went back and forth for 10 rounds. Cavrel correctly spelled patience, lyrics, plague, casserole and monarch before winning with labyrinth. Voyles earned the second-place trophy by spelling docile, woebegone, gyrate and idiocy before tripping up on buoyant.

The third-place trophy in the Cheetahs division went to Benjamin Macintyre, a seventh-grader from La Source. In the Gazelles group, eight spellers tied for third place: Molly Dugan, fifth grade, Ecole Massillon; Bryan Gu, fifth grade,  Marymount International School of Paris; Mallory Lewis, fifth grade, American School of Paris; Hugo Scherer,  fourth grade,  EABJM; Sebastian Macintyre,  fourth-grade, La Source; Mizuki Morio, fourth grade, EAB Victor Hugo;  Momo Ohji, fourth grade, EAB Victor Hugo;  Abdoulie Sarr, fourth grade, EAB Victor Hugo.

The Paris Spelling Bee is an annual community enrichment event organized by Gifted in France in collaboration with the American Library in Paris. For the first time, the event was hosted by the American University of Paris. Pronouncers for the Gazelles were Charlie Trueheart, director of the American Library in Paris and journalist Anne Swardson. Naida Kendrick Culshaw, the executive-assistant for the ALP, was the pronouncer for the Cheetahs.  Celeste  Schenck, President of the American University of Paris, was on hand to congratulate the Cheetahs and share an anecdote from her days as a young spelling bee participant.

In January, more than 100 students from schools in the Paris region registered for the Bee. Twenty finalists were selected in each division after a preliminary written round was held on January 29. The written round consisted of a dictation of words from a study and surprise list.

Words for Sunday’s Oral Finals were taken from Spell It! an official study guide published by Merriam-Webster in association with the National Spelling Bee in the United States. The list is often used in regional spelling bees across America.

In addition to the trophy,  first-place winners in each division received a one-year family membership to the American Library in Paris along with an ALP tote bag, silver USB key from the Singapore Club, iPhone protector from Phillips Netherlands,  a fish-bowl paperweight from Marc Labat and a digital camera from Office Depot. Second prize winners also received a digital camera, iPhone protector, fish-bowl paperweight, international plug adapters and a tote bag from the ALP.

All 39 finalists received books from the ALP, as well as a computer mouse from Office Depot and accessories from Marc Labat. The International Herald Tribune donated flashlight key chains, notepads, and sweets to the children, and the weekend edition of the newspaper for the audience.

The Paris Spelling Bee is grateful to the American Library in Paris for its continued support of the Bee and thankful to the American University of Paris for being the host.  Special thanks go to the organizers who made this growing event possible: Jude Smith Matisse, Karen Simpson, Ashley Miller, Amy O’Hara, Cate O’Connor of The Roaming Schoolhouse, Rose Burke and Kim Siew Ngoh.  Bee organizers are appreciative of the time and energy that Naida Kendrick Culshaw put in helping the team.  Additional thanks go to Charlie Trueheart, Anne Swardson, ALP’s Children’s librarian Celeste Rhoads, Janet Sahin (in the US), Cathy Altman Nocquet, Janet Hoffman, Ghazala Azizullah, Frank Connelly and Chrise de Tournay Birkhahn. Thanks also to former Paris Spelling Bee champs Amelie Matisse (2008) and Shannon Connelly (2010), and three-time Bee participants Emma Newman and Julia Connelly for helping out at the Oral Finals.

As the Paris Spelling Bee continues to grow, we are always in need of donors and sponsors to help defray the cost of trophies, venues, prizes and office supplies.  We welcome parents, teachers and others interested in helping with the organization of this enrichment activity, which takes months to prepare.

Congratulations to all the children who registered for the 2011 Paris Spelling Bee and to those who made it to the Oral Finals.

Finally, we want to congratulate Tuli Bennet Bose, our 2010 winner in the Gazelles division, who recently won 2nd place in the city-wide spelling bee in Washington, D.C. Tuli’s family relocated to the US last summer.

See you in 2012!

Kind regards,
Helen Sahin Connelly
Coordinator, Paris Spelling Bee
giftedinfrance.blogspot.com

*****

******

*******

2011 PARIS SPELLING BEE

Results of the Preliminary Written Round

29 January 2011

Congratulations to all the registered contestants who braved the cold weather early last Saturday morning, 29 January, to participate in the Preliminary Written Round of the 2011 Paris Spelling Bee.

• 63 of the 75 registered participants in the Gazelles group and 28 of the 34 Cheetahs turned up for the mandatory written competition where children were given a dictation of words.
• Participants were provided with a study list ahead of the event.

• The Preliminary Written Round was divided into two sections: First Round consisted of 25 words from the study list, and the second round included 5 words from the study list and 5 more words off-list.
• 20 Finalists from each group were selected based on their marks.
• Over 30 schools were represented.
• Gazelles– CE2-CM2 (3^rd-5th grade),  and Cheetahs– 6ème- 4ème (6^th-8^th grade).

We congratulate every student who registered for this event, even those who were unable to make it to the competition.

Below are two lists of finalists chosen for the Oral Finals, which will be held on Sunday 20 March 2011 (10-16h00 approx) at the American University of Paris. There will be a mock/practice session on Sunday 6 March (10h00-13h00) for all the finalists to learn useful tips on oral spelling bees, PSB contest rules and have a chance to meet fellow participants. Tentative time: 10h00-13h00. This event will also be held at the American University of Paris.

1. Gazelles: Finalists for the 2011 Paris Spelling Bee

2. Cheetahs: Finalists for the 2011 Paris Spelling Bee

IMPORTANT: Finalists will have until Thursday 3 February to confirm by email to parisfrancespellingbee@gmail.com their participation in the Oral Finals of the 2011 Paris Spelling Bee. They must also pay their registration fees, as indicated on the registration forms. Deadline for payment of registration is Friday 4 February. If there is no confirmation and payment, that spot will go to the next person with a qualifying mark. (Checks payable to Gifted in France, 39 ave de Versailles, 75016; same fees apply as the registration for the Preliminary event: 12 euros per child, 5 euros per each additional child in the same family. )
** A new study list for the Oral Finals will be emailed to all finalists upon confirmation.

A big thank you to everyone who participated and supported the efforts of the Paris Spelling Bee, especially the American Library in Paris who has been so generous to the Bee with their space, time and membership prizes for the top winners.  An even bigger thanks to all the volunteers who helped out at the event with pronouncing the words, correcting papers, and watching over the venue. Thank you to the key players  who put in countless hours to make the Preliminary Round possible: Jude Smith, Rose Burke, Ashley Miller, Kim Siew Ngoh, Janet Sahin, Amy O’Hara,  Cate O’Connor (on behalf of the Roaming Schoolhouse) and Naida Kendrick Culshaw (on behalf of the ALP).

Also, a final thanks to all the participants who registered, studied and came to the Preliminary Written Round. Even if you didn’t become a finalist,  you tried something new and showed up for it. Bravo to you! There were many participants this year who returned from last year and the year before. We hope you’ll do the same.

The Paris Spelling Bee is an annual community enrichment event organized by Gifted in France in collaboration with the American Library in Paris, and this year hosted by the American University of Paris. We are grateful to both of these institutions for their support of the Bee.  We are also in search of sponsors to help us offset the costs of venues, trophies, supplies and prizes. If you would like to donate prizes and supplies or be a sponsor please contact us by email.
Best regards,

Helen Sahin Connelly

Coordinator,

2011 Paris Spelling Bee

parisfrancespellingbee@gmail.com

Parisfrancespellingbee.wordpress.com

giftedinfrance.blogspot.com

2011

Paris Spelling Bee

Registration is now closed. We wish our participants best of luck.

Best of luck to our next round of participants!!

The Paris Spelling Bee Team

2011 Paris Spelling Bee

Today is the LAST day to register…

All forms must be received with registration payment

on or before 18 January,

or postmarked by 18 January.

• Registration for the 2011 Bee is now open, Click here to get your copy of the registration form.
• Tuesday 18 January, 2011: Registration, by mail, closes on Tuesday 18 January.
• Saturday 29 January, 2011: Written Preliminary Round, for preregistered participants, to be held at Ecole Sainte Catherine, 75005. Tentative time: 09h00-12h00.  Confirmation will be sent to preregistered participants.
• Study List for the Preliminary Written Round is available by clicking here, or going to the ‘Study List’ page of our blog.
• Sunday 6, March 2011: Mock/Practice session. Tentative time: 10h00-13h00:  This event is organized for finalists chosen from the Written Round.  To be held at the American University of Paris.
• Sunday 20 March, 2011: Oral Finals of the Paris Spelling Bee.  Tentative time: 10h00-16h00: This event is for finalists and their invited guests, to be held at the American University of Paris.
  
• FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about the Bee, FAQ page of our blog.

Community Events at the American Library in Paris

• How Spelling Bees Work: Saturday 15  January, 15h00-16h00. Activity for children 7-14 years-old.

• Pizza Bee Movie Night: Saturday January 15, 18h30-21h00: Open to parents and children.  Join us for the special screening of the award-winning documentary Spellbound. RSVP for this event is now FULL.

Best of luck!

****************

Twenty-nine finalists from 13 schools competed in the 3rd annual Paris Spelling Bee on Sunday May 30 at the American Library in Paris. Students were grouped into two categories: Gazelles for 3^rd-5^th graders (CE2-CM2) and 6th-8th graders (6ème- 4ème).

In the Gazelles group, Tuli Bennett-Bose, a 5th grader (CM2) from International School of Paris, won first prize by spelling ‘demarcate’ correctly in the 29^th round. Another 5th grader, Niamh Howley from Institute de l’Assomption Lubeck, took the second place trophy for the second year in a row. Niamh also attends the Roaming Schoolhouse for English instruction. Tuli and Niamh are 10 years old.

In the Cheetahs group, 13-year-old Shannon Connelly, from Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel, won first place by correctly spelling her championship word ‘serendipity.” Twelve-year-old Cody Vance, from College International Fontainebleau, clinched second prize by spelling ‘catalpa.’  Shannon is in 8th grade (4ème) and Cody is in 7th grade (5ème). It was the third time Shannon has competed in the bee.

Both first-prize winners also received one-year family memberships from the American Library in Paris, as well as iSpy Binoculars from Office Depot. Additional prizes for all finalists were provided by the library, Hachette Livres International, Marc Labat, The Roaming Schoolhouse, and WH Smith.

The event is an annual community enrichment activity organized by Gifted in France in collaboration with the American Library in Paris. ALP’s director Charlie Trueheart and journalist Anne Swardson served as the official pronouncers.

For the Gazelles, Celine Son from the Lennen Bilingual School finished in 3^rd place in the 25^th round, while 5^th grader Matteo Boissiere from Massillon and 4^th grader Holly O’Neil from Ecole Georges Cogniot in Malakoff finished in 4^th and 5^th place respectively. Both Matteo and Holly are 9 years old.

Tying for 3^rd place for the Cheetahs were 12-year-old Casper Sanderson from EABJM and 11-year-old Benjamin Macintyre from La Source. Finishing in 5th and 6th place were Mia Canbantous from EABJM and Sasha Tsovma from Stanislas.

Seventy-eight students from more than 30 schools participated in the preliminary written round on April 10th, and 16 finalists were chosen for both the Gazelles and Cheetahs based on their performance. This year’s spellers showed remarkable courage and unprecedented dedication to learning their words and coming to the scheduled events –the preliminary written round, practice session and the oral finals.

The Paris Spelling Bee is grateful to the American Library in Paris for hosting the bee for the third straight year. Special thanks go to the organizers who devoted countless hours over the last several months to making the event possible: Jude Smith Matisse, Cate O’Connor, Rose Burke, Melanie O’Neil, Kim Siew Ngoh, Shellie Holubek, Ashley Miller and Emine Pelin Ariner. Additional thanks go to Naida Culshaw Kendrick,  Janet Sahin, Nati Jiminez, Cathy Altman Nocquet, Janet Hoffman, Helen Stathopulos Géhin and Sophie Field.

Paris Spelling Bee is modeled after typical bees in the United States.

Spelling bees provide an opportunity for students to expand their vocabulary, learn about word origins and have a chance to improve their public speaking abilities.

A family movie night was also organized by the bee committee and ALP in March where over 80 parents and children showed up at the American Library to have pizza and watch the award-winning documentary Spellbound.

2011 Paris Spelling Bee is already looking for co-sponsors to help defray the costs and donate educational prizes. The committee is also seeking volunteers who are passionate about providing an enriching experience to young spellers, readers and those curious about words, words and words.

Schools and individuals interested in helping or participating in the 2011 bee can email Helen Sahin Connelly at parisfrancespellingbee@gmail.com.

Congratulations to all our 2010 winners and finalists!!

See You Next Year!