The Newton County School System will host the 2010 System Spelling Bee on at 10 a.m. on January 29 at Eastside High School. Each of the system's elementary and middle schools will send its school spelling bee champion to participate in the county competition.
Students in grades four through eight were eligible to participate in the school competitions. In addition to the champion, each school will send its runner up in the school spelling bee as an alternate in the event the school champion is unable to participate.
"Spelling is one of the life?long skills that children begin to learn early in school and continue throughout their lifetimes," said Dr. Ken Proctor, Director of Elementary Schools. "Written communication is an essential component of everyday life. In order to be an effective and efficient communicator, one must have adequate spelling knowledge. The Spelling Bee is a fun activity in which children can participate to demonstrate the spelling skills and knowledge they have learned."
During the competition, contestants must spell the word they are given correctly. After having started to spell a word, the contestant will not be given any opportunity to change the letters, once pronounced. If a speller fails to spell the word correctly, he must step out of the competition.
Once the competition is down to just two remaining contestants, the elimination procedure will change. If a speller misspells a word, the other contestant is given the opportunity to spell the same word. If the second contestant spells the word correctly and spells the next word on the caller's list correctly, he or she will be declared the champion. If the second speller misspells the new word after correcting the first contestant's error, the first contestant will be declared the champion if he or she spells the misspelled word and the next word on the caller's list correctly.
The judges and the Newton County Spelling Bee Committee are in complete control of the Bee at all times and the judges' decision shall be final on all matters. Parents and family members are invited to attend the Bee; however, we ask that parents refrain from bringing infants and small children to the competition as they may distract the contestants. We also ask that flash photography only be used after the competition is completed.
Newton County School System's 2010 school champions and their alternates are as follows:
East Newton: Zachary Glover, alternate Emalee Green
Ficquett: MacKenzie Snyder, alternate Ralph Brown
Heard-Mixon: Reagan Hanson, alternate Alicia Nykanen
Live Oak: Diana Vo, alternate Josiah Webb
Livingston: Jacob Beazley, alternate Carl Thomas
Mansfield: Will Gregory, alternate Joshua Tukes
Middle Ridge: Aniyah Laudat, alternate Elijah Lawson
Oak Hill: Arianna Hardaway, alternate Savannah Gonzalez
Palmer Stone: Coley Edwards, alternate Carly Walden
Porterdale: Tiffany Key, alternate Nyadirah Stephens
Rocky Plains: Jamie Ward, alternate Elena Batazhan
South Salem: Jaden Lampkin, alternate Frances Wallace
West Newton: SaDaisha Williams, alternate Arlette Torres
Clements Theme: Amari King, alternate Payton Thompson
Cousins: Brain Worton, alternate Taji Steele
Indian Creek: Caitlin Smith, alternate Kayla Kauffman
Liberty: William Bradford, alternate Samantha Desrosiers
Sharp: Malik Baldwin, alternate Quintarius Shy
Veterans Memorial: Hunter Terrell, alternate Breanna Harris
The winner of the NCSS spelling bee will represent the county at the district spelling bee on February 27, at Putnam County Elementary School in Eatonton.
