Bees picking up speed

You may well have heard more about spelling bees in recent months than in the past. This is because a more concerted effort has been made to engage students, staff, and schools in the event.

As a spelling bee judge, it is always fascinating to see how caught up in the event students become; waiting to see if a fellow classmate’s spelling was correct or not; enthusiastic cheering for those spellers who spell their words correctly; and hearing from participants about how hard they worked to prepare.

The spelling bee has grown in popularity over the years, using the rules set forth by the Scripps National Spelling Bee organization. In their words, the purpose of the spelling bee is to “help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.”

The bee began in 1925 with nine newspapers collaborating to put the event together. Since 1946, the National Spelling Bee finals have been broadcast on television on various networks, with the most recent events being broadcast live on ESPN.

Our district re-invigorated the spelling bee this year, spearheaded by elementary principals Shalei Bennett (Zia) and Deborah Westbrook (Lockwood), and most of our schools — elementary through eighth grade — participated.

After the individual classes had their own competitions, there were school-wide spelling bees, with wider audiences, including other grade levels, along with parents and teachers.

I recall at the end of one of the spelling bees, students pouring down from the bleachers to surround the winner, cheering and hugging congratulations.

This all culminated in the regional spelling bee with the finalists competing at Clovis Community College’s Town Hall auditorium.

Walking into the space, students were seated on the stage facing the judges. The audience was filled with not only the parents of the students who’d won at the school level, but also principals from schools with students in the running.

Competitors came from Clovis Municipal Schools, Clovis Christian School, and the Texico schools.

Funny, how a spelling can be an exciting event, but indeed it was; sometimes tears for missed words; cheering and applause for success; total engagement of all present.

All in all, it was a rousingly successful event showcasing students’ hard work.

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools. She can be reached at

[email protected]