Schools signed up for DPS 2010-2011 semantics competitions: Hill, Hamilton, Omar D. Blair, Southmoor, Wyatt Edison, Traylor, Henry, Bradley, Smiley A, Smiley B, Lowry, Trevista at Horace Mann, Denver School of the Arts, West Denver Prep, Centennial, Steck, Florida Waller
2010-2011 Semantics Program SIGN-UP. Sign up for this year's DPS semantics competitions by calling Bill Schaefer at 303-322-0479. Schools participate in two interschool spelling bees and the DPS City Written Spelling Contest. The top 25 spellers on the City Written qualify for the Colorado State Spelling Bee and the DPS City Orals Championship Spelling Bee. To qualify for state a speller's school must also register with the National Spelling Bee beginning on August 17. The fee is $99 per school if you register before October 15 and $174 if you register between October 15 and December 17 (there is an additional $7.50 handling fee if you pay by check rather than credit card). To register with the NSB click on www.spellingbee.com.
August 22
I am preparing all new "Student Worksheets" to go along with 2011 Spell It! The first 14 lessons including all of the Spell It! words that are on the practice list for the 1st spelling bee (Dec. 7) will be ready Sept. 1. $20 for the entire set that includes all Spell It! words. This fee is for paper, toner, and copy machine maintenance. Call Bill Schaefer (303-322-0479) or email (bcs640@msn.com) if you would like to order a set.
August 6
The Summer Semantics Final Championship Spelling Bee will be held Wednesday August 11 at Thomas Jefferson High School in the auditorium, 12:15 start. Visitors welcome. Click on "Summer" for the results.
July 5
Twenty students from 9 different DPS schools are attending Summer Semantics sessions at Thomas Jefferson High School. They participate in oral, written and team competitions. Throughout the summer there are 15 sessions, each 2 hour and 15 minutes long. A final Summer Semantics Spelling Bee will be held on August 11.
June 4
At the Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinalist Brian King advanced to Round 5 by correctly spelling "musteline" (weasel-like) in Round 4. In Round 5 he misspelled "caprifig" c-a-p-r-o-f-i-g (a wild fig of Europe and Asia Minor) and was eliminated. Brian finished in 20th place. This was the best showing by a DPS student since 1971 when Liz Patterson of Hill Junior High School was the Colorado state champion.
June 3
Summer Semantics sessions begin next week at Thomas Jefferson High School. Our state champion Brian King made the semifinals of the 2010 National Spelling Bee today. On the National Written Test he spelled 22 out of 25 words correctly and then correctly spelled his oral words, "fraulein" and "limitrophe" in rounds 2 and 3 to advance, along with 47 other spellers, to Round 4. Round 4 will be televised tomorrow on ESPN at 8:00 a.m.
May 20
Spring Spelling League scores should be turned in by Monday, May 24. Spellers attending Summer Semantics should arrange a time for material delivery. Click on "Summer" and email Bill Schaefer your time preference by Sunday, May 23.
April 29
As of today, nineteen spellers have signed up for 2010 Summer Semantics representing nine different schools (Connections Academy, DSA, Hamilton, Hill, Lowry, Morey, RMSEL, Southmoor, and Waller). Students should let Bill Schaefer know their summer vacation schedule by May 10 so that he can start building a schedule. We're still looking for a site to hold summer sessions. It seems that many schools are having construction projects going on this summer and are off limits to students. Twenty students are participating in our Spring Spelling League. Six of the spelling tests have been given at this point. There's still three weeks to go. Brian King continues to prepare for the National Spelling Bee in June. He and his family are looking forward to their time in Washington, D. C. The preliminary and final rounds of the National Spelling Bee will be televised on June 3 and June 4. Good luck Brian!
March 26
Our 26 state qualifiers were honored by the Denver Public Schools school board at their March 19 meeting. 23 of the students were in attendance with their families, teachers, and principals. Bill Schaefer gave a brief explanation of the semantics program and introduced all in attendance. Each of our 10 state finalists gave the members of the board a word to try to spell. Board members were successful on 2 out of the 10 words. Linda Schiller and Brian King talked about their experiences in spelling competitions and the amount of study time involved. Later that evening Brian was introduced to the crowd at the Denver Nuggets-New Orleans Hornets basketball game and received quite an ovation. Brian, Danny Sarché and Dylan Salzman met with Chauncey Billups in the Nuggets' locker room. Brian informs us that he has been studying hard for the national spelling bee.
March 19
Spring Semantics League starts next Monday. Take one 40-word test each week for nine weeks. Scores posted - click on "Spring." Spellers don't take this too seriously. It's just a little practice spelling words you haven't had a chance to study beforehand. Try to be a good "word detective" and figure out the spellings given the definitions, part of speech, and derivation.
March 7
Spring Semantics League forming:
2010 semantics competitions are over, except, of course, for those great spellers who are heading to Washington D. C. for the National Spelling Bee. The rest of us start preparing for next year. It has come to my attention from all the thoughtful emails that Brian King, our state champion, and I have received from around the state that many more spellers are using our DPS website than just DPS students, and, of course, you are all welcome to do so. The DPS schools that had state qualifiers are going to form a spring semantics league. If any non-Denver Public Schools spellers would like to participate you are welcome. Final details and information on how to sign up will be posted right here next Monday, March 15. In general spellers will be given a 5 minute lesson and a 40-word test each week. Your scores will be posted on this site. The test will be mailed to teachers or coaches ahead of time and you will have all week to take the test and report your scores. The cumulative scores will be posted each Saturday. All the words will be non-Spell It! words like those you might encounter on the state written test or in the oral rounds after Spell It! words have been exhausted. Spellers, you can see how you compare with other interested spellers around the state. But most importantly, you compete against yourself and see if you can improve on your spelling as the spring wears on. There will be a $.44 charge per week for each teacher or coach to cover the cost of mailing new tests each week. Again, details will be posted here next Monday and you will have until Friday, March 19, to sign up if you're interested.
February 1
The City Written Spelling Contest will be held on February 18. Teachers, please let Bill Schaefer know the number of spellers you are bringing to that event. We are expecting a record number of students this year. As of now it looks like 260. Graders needed. Papers are double and many times triple graded. Teachers, parents, and friends of teachers and parents are needed to help. Anybody interested in grading should call Bill Schaefer, 303-322-0479, for details. The level of our best spellers has risen greatly over the last three years and it appears that more time will be needed at the City Orals Spelling Bee on March 3. This spelling bee will begin at 12:00. Please note the time change.
January 5
Schools that registered with the National Spelling Bee have received an entry form for the Colorado State Spelling Bee. Ignore this form. The entry forms for our 25 state qualifiers will be delivered to the Denver Post by Bill Schaefer on the day after the City Written Spelling Test. Word lists for the second spelling bee (Jan. 28) will be delivered to host schools on Friday, Jan. 22.
December 13
This week teachers will receive the practice dictionary for the "City Orals" Spelling Bee to be held March 3. If you anticipate that any of your students have a chance to qualify for City Orals via the City Written Test (Feb. 28), you might give them a copy of this list to get a head start on over vacation. I know this is early but since the Colorado State Spelling Bee has been moved up kids will not have much study time between the City Written on Feb. 18 and City Orals on March 3 and the state bee March 6.
December 1
First spelling bee is next week. Host teachers wishing photographs of their championship round spellers to be placed on this website should take digital pictures and transfer them to a flash drive (contact Bill Schaefer for a flash drive). Spell It! words on the practice list for the second spelling bee (Jan. 28) will appear on the daily spelling quizzes, #759-#798, beginning Wednesday, December 9. Spelling bee results from December 8 will be posted here, click on "First Spelling Bee - Results," as soon as they are reported to Bill Schaefer.
November 23
Reminders about the first spelling bee will be school-mailed to teachers this week. Word lists for the first spelling bee will be delivered to host schools on Monday, November 30.
October 16
The tentative schedule has been changed following feedback from teachers and the addition of a new school. Let me know ASAP if you see any problems. The schedule will be finalized early next week.
October 14
A tentative schedule for the inter-school spelling bees is now posted (click on "Schedule"). Let me know ASAP if you any problems.
September 21
The Denver Public Schools spelling competition schedule will be finalized on October 15. Any schools not listed above that want to particpate this year contact Bill Schaefer as soon as possible (bcs640@msn.com or 303-322-0479).
August 19
Spell It!
Schools that register with the National Spelling Bee can now receive study materials from that site. This year's 2010 Spell It! study book is identical to last year's 2009 Spell It! Spell It! Dictionaries with alphabetized lists of all words by category along with pronunciations and definitions compiled by Bill Schaefer were given to all teachers and summer semantics students last year. Use them again this year. Teachers who want a copy of this dictionary (about 40 pages) contact Bill Schaefer. If you purchased Spell It! Student Worksheets from me last year you can use them again this year. If you would like these materials [there are 42 study guides (about 25-30 words each) with pronunciations and definitions, word puzzles with all of the study words, and 3 vocabulary tests, over 200 pages in all] they are $25 which pays for paper, copy machine up-keep, a binder, and delivery. Contact Bill Schaefer. If your school is not going to register with the National Spelling Bee and you need a copy of this year's Spell It! contact Bill Schaefer.
Grade-specific National Spelling Bee Study Lists
Also on the National Spelling Bee website are grade-specific word study lists. I will be sending copies of these lists along with study materials for these words, no charge, to every school as soon as you tell me you're participating (see list in blue above). These will be ready in about a week and school-mailed to you at that time.
August 13
The days for our 2009-2010 spelling competitions have been set. Click on "Schedule."
August 1
Schools can register with the National Spelling Bee for the upcoming semantics competitions for 2009-2010 beginning on August 18. Go to www.spellingbee.com and click on "Register Your School." |
