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Spelling Bee

Every year, students across Pasadena compete to become eligible for the Pasadena ISD district-wide spelling bee. Champions from each elementary campus will go to the Elementary Spelling Bee (3rd and 4th grade only).  Middle and Intermediate School Champions for 5th through 8th grade, as well as the Winner and First Runner Up of the Elementary Spelling Bee, will go to the Secondary Champion Spelling Bee. The Winner and First Runner Up from the Secondary Bee will advance to the Houston PBS Spelling Bee. Before the district Championship Spelling Bee, The Winner and Runner Up for each campus is invited to attend the Bee Hive, an evening of fun filled activities to help students prepare for the championship round, and learn tips and tricks for winning a spelling bee.

Determining the Champion

Winners of the Pasadena Spelling Bee will be determined through the following process:

  • A speller is eliminated from the Bee when he/she misspells a word. If none of the spellers remaining in the Bee at the start of a round spells a word correctly during that round, all shall remain in the competition.
  • If only one speller remains in the competition at the start of a round, spells a word correctly during that round, a new round shall begin and the speller shall be given the opportunity to spell the next word on the list.
  • If the speller succeeds in correctly spelling the word, they are the champion.
  • If the speller misses the word, all spellers remaining in the competition at the start of the precious round shall remain in the competition.
  • A new round will begin with these spellers, spelling in the original order.

Key Effect of this Process:

  • The champion is not the champion until he/she has spelled correctly two more words that the speller or spellers placing second have spelled. The two words will be spelled consecutively only if the champion is the last speller in the round.
  • Under no circumstances is any speller asked to correct the misspelling of another speller.

Important Dates:

Bee Hive (Spelling Bee Workshop)

January 10, 2025 Frank Braden Complex – Orozco SDC

Elementary Spelling Bee (3rd and 4th Graders)

February 4, 2025 South Houston High School Auditorium

Secondary Spelling Bee (5th – 8th Graders)

February 11, 2025 South Houston High School Auditorium

Houston Area Regional Spelling Bee

TBD

Spelling Bee Resources

Bee Hive

Before the district Championship Spelling Bee, the winner and runner-up for each campus is invited to attend the Bee Hive, an evening of fun filled activities to help students prepare for the championship round.

  • Under the direction of Leslie Axel, Coordinator for Advanced Academics, teachers and Spelling Bee enthusiasts worked with the campus winners and runner-ups for 3rd – 8th grade to learn about the complexities of words and their origins in order to prepare for the upcoming championship Spelling Bees. Students rotated through interactive sessions that focused on specific countries of origin. The list of sessions included words with origins from Latin, Italian, Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Greek, Old English, and New World languages, as well as a session focusing on the more difficult words from the 7th and 8th grade.

    A group of students are working on a project in a classroom. A group of children are sitting around a table in a classroom.

    A group of children are working on laptops with a teacher. A group of children are sitting around a table in a classroom. They are working on a project.

  • Syamantak Payra, two time champion of the Houston Public Media Spelling Bee and winner of the $50,000 Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award, discussed with students at the Bee Hive how to develop a work ethic and strong study skills that lead not only to a win at the Spelling Bee but prepares them for learning later in life.

    A group of students sitting around a table working on a project with Syamantak Payra

  • Marsha Jones, Pat Sermas, Karen Hickman

    Marsha Jones, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Pat Sermas, Director of Advanced Academics, and Karen Hickman, Deputy Superintendent show their support for our campus Spelling Bee winners who attended the Bee Hive

    • Kathryn Katsus : Peer Facilitator, Meador Elementary
    • Teresa Sharp: Assistant Principal, Sparks Elementary
    • Amanda Khan: Assistant Principal, Genoa Elementary
    • Maria Escobar: Assistant Principal, Pearl Hall Elementary
    • Elizabeth Martin: Dyslexia Intervention Teacher, Jessup Elementary
    • Stephanie Phillips: Science Teacher, Mae Smythe Elementary
    • Sandra Duran: 4th Grade Teacher, LF Smith Elementary
    • Ivette Alanis: 1st Grade Teacher, Parks Elementary
    • Belva Alaniz: 3rd Grade Teacher, Atkinson Elementary
    • Mary Black: Music Teacher, Gardens Elementary
    • Regina Barnes: Assistant Principal, Atkinson Elementary