Houston Public Media Spelling Bee 2020

School Enrollment has concluded for the 2019-2020 school year.

For information about enrolling your school in next year’s bee, contact Connie Hill, chill@houstonpublicmedia.org.

TIMELINE

FALL SEMESTER
- School Spelling Bees
  - School Bee Coordinators enroll schools through Scripps National Spelling Bee’s website, www.spellingbee.com
  - School Bee Coordinators distribute study materials to students.
  - School Bees Coordinators conduct school bees before Winter Break.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
- School District Spelling Bees/Regional Bees
  Champions from School Bees compete in a School District Bee or a Regional Bee.
  - School District Bees
    Aldine, Alief, Alvin, Clear Creek, Crosby, Cypress Fairbanks, Deer Park, Fort Bend, Galena Park, Goose Creek, Houston, Humble, Katy, Klein, La Porte, Pasadena, Pearland, Sheldon, Spring, Spring Branch, Tomball
  - Regional Bees
    - Zone 1, Brazoria County
    - Zone 2, Fort Bend County
    - Zone 3, Galveston, Chambers Counties
    - Zone 4, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange Counties
    - Zone 5, Matagorda, Wharton, Colorado, Austin, Waller Counties
    - Zone 6, Newton, Tyler, Jasper, Hardin Counties
    - Zone 7, Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby Counties
    - Zone 8, Montgomery, Walker, San Jacinto, Trinity, Polk Counties
    - Zone 9, Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Robertson, Madison, Washington Counties
    - Harris County Charter Schools
    - Harris County Private Schools
    - Harris County Parochial (Catholic Archdiocese) Schools
    - Houston Area Home Schools
- Houston Public Media Spelling Bee
  Champions from District/Regional Bees compete in the Houston Public Media Bee, February 29, 2020.
MAY
- Scripps National Spelling Bee
  Houston Public Media’s top two spellers compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, May 25-28, 2020.

STUDY MATERIALS

OFFICIAL SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE MATERIALS – School Study List and Words of the Champions are available from your School Bee Coordinator.

For School Bees – Scripps School Study List
School bees consist of TWO separate sections.
- First Section: words selected from the Scripps Study List
- Second Section: words not on the Scripps Study List
For District/Regional Bees – Words of the Champions
District/Regional Bees consist of TWO separate sections.
- First Section: words selected from Words of the Champions
- Second Section: words not in Words of the Champions
For Houston Public Media Bee – Words of the Champions
Houston Public Media Bee consists of TWO separate sections.
- First Section: words selected from Words of the Champions
- Second Section: words not in Words of the Champions

All words come from the Official Dictionary: Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOME SCHOOLS

Enrollment has concluded for the 2019-2020 school year

Counties: Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Chambers, Liberty, Montgomery, Waller

Participate with Regional Bee Coordinator, Horizons Education Center.

Counties: Angelina, Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Grimes, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Leon, Madison, Matagorda, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Washington, Wharton

Participate in a Regional Bee above for Zones 1-9.

Congratulations to our 2019 Winner and Runner-Up!

2019 HPM Spelling Bee winner Aanvi Manda (right) and runner-up Sankalp Gautam (left), with HPM’s Vice-President and General Manager, Lisa Shumate, and Executive Director of Operations, Josh Adams.

After competing in ten rounds with 52 spellers representing 37 Texas counties, Aanvi Manda, a resident of Lufkin and a fourth grader at Brandon Elementary in Lufkin ISD, emerged as the champion of the 2019 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee. Sankalp Gautam, a resident of College Station and a seventh grader at College Station Middle School in College Station ISD, is the runner-up. The two spellers will advance to the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation’s largest and longest-running educational program, in May with an all-expenses-paid trip to Bee Week.

“You never know when something great like this can happen but it starts by trying,” said Aanvi Manda.

This is the first time Aanvi competed at the Houston Public Media Spelling Bee. At nine years old, she was the youngest competitor in the final rounds.

About Our Winners

2019 HPM Spelling Bee Champion, Aanvi Manda

Aanvi Manda, Champion

4th grade, from Brandon Elementary, Lufkin ISD, representing Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby counties. (Regional Bee hosted by Kiwanis Club of Lufkin)

Words Spelled in the Bee

nenuphar
facial
opacity
dereliction
isentropic
umbilicate
acroamatic
odontotomy
raclette

2019 HPM Spelling Bee Runner Up, Sankalp Gautam

Sankalp Gautam, Runner Up

7th grade, from College Station Middle School, College Station ISD, representing Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties. (Regional Bee hosted by Bryan ISD)