Important Updates:

It was voted on by the GAE State Spelling Bee Committee to move both the Region and State level bees to the virtual platform. They will still take place on the same days and times. The uncertainty of variables impacting venues, traveling, etc. due to COVID was behind the decision to again move the bees to virtual. County/System winners and runners-up should immediately fill out their respective Qualifier Forms to receive further instructions.

To the Georgia Spelling Bee Community:

The spelling bee committee of the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) has been planning for another successful spelling bee program for the school year. GAE is again proud to offer Georgia students an opportunity to exhibit their proficiency in the art of spelling and, just as importantly, vocabulary. If a contestant is successful at the school system level, then he/she will have the opportunity to advance to the region competition. The region winners and runners-up compete in the state spelling bee with the state winner advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

This school year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee enrollment period began August 20, 2021. GAE will end enrollment as of December 31, 2021. For students to be eligible to compete in the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, their schools/home schools must be enrolled, and they must have paid the Scripps’ enrollment fee by the deadline of December 31, 2021. The enrollment fee is $175 / $120 for Schools / Home School Associations/Single Family Homeschools, respectively. You can enroll online with Scripps at www.spellingbee.com. If you enroll by September 30, 2021, you will receive a prize code from Encyclopedia Britannica.

To ensure a successful local spelling bee, it is important for you to utilize the products and resources described in the Procedures, Rules, and Regulations (PRR) on pages 33-34 and to follow the GAE official procedures, rules, and regulations for spelling bees, which are listed on pages 6-11. To access Georgia’s State Spelling Bee (PRR) go to http://www.gae.org/spellingbee. NOTE: According to Scripps, their spelling bee rules apply only to the competition at the national level; therefore, please refer to Georgia’s rules in this PRR.

Please note that we are continuing to emphasize the need to implement a minimum of one vocabulary round at both your school and county bees and spell-offs. Vocabulary has now become an equal factor in how far state representatives advance at nationals. Remember, schools can access vocabulary and spelling resources via their Scripps’ registration that can then be shared with participating contestants. GAE is also providing resource links at www.gae.org/spellingbee. GAE will be implementing vocabulary rounds at both the region and state levels. We feel our students must begin to learn their vocabulary as well as the actual dynamics of spelling (rather than just simple rote word memorization).

Should circumstances dictate that you cannot do an on-site spelling bee, Scripps continues to provide a virtual platform. For the classroom/school level, access is included in your registration. For county level access please contact us at gaebee@gae.org. More information is available upon registration at www.spellingbee.com.

The State Bee Championship will be held on March 18, 2022 at 11 a.m. on the campus of Georgia State University.

The spelling bee consultants/committee hope you have a great year planning and implementing your bee! Please always feel free to send us your questions and/or concerns at gaebee@gae.org.

HAPPY S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G!

Bee Study Resources

The GAE Spelling Bee Committee does not furnish any practice list of words to use for your speller. The ultimate recommended guide is using Webster’s 3^rd New Unabridged Online International Dictionary as a study reference (http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/). Your school can access any Scripps study material once it has enrolled and has the receipt of the enrollment fee. Those materials may be downloaded and printed for the school winner for ongoing study.

For additional popular study sites search for Bee study resources.

GAE is so proud of Ananya and her efforts during this very different year with the Scripps National Bee. Although she missed the word "colmatage," she is still one of the top 30 spellers in the nation and she will be back again next year as an eighth-grader. Congratulations Ananya!

Ananya moves on to the national semi-finals!

Ananya has made it successfully through the vocabulary round by correctly identifying
"Vagaries- an unexpected and inexplicable change."

GAE Georgia State Spelling Bee Champion Ananya Augustine moves on to 5th round by correctly spelling "testaceous."

Ananya Augustine is Georgia’s 2021 spelling champion

2021 GAE REGION BEE WINNERS & RUNNERS-UP AND STATE FINALISTS

Bee Region/System Name Grade/ School Age

1 W/ Paulding Riley Linde 8 / Carl Scoggins Sr. Middle 13
1 R/ Bremen City Alicia Viera 8 / Bremen Middle 14
2 W/ Forsyth Cindy Zhou 5 / Haw Creek Elementary 11
2 R/ Cobb Gracie Dong 5 / East Side Elementary 11
3 W/ Gwinnett Long Nguyen 8 / Sweetwater Middle 13
3 R/ Gwinnett Cayden Mader 5 / Starling Elementary 10
4 W/ DeKalb Sanjeda Jamal 4 / Huntley Hills Elementary 9
4 R/ DeKalb Christian Wilson 6 / Champion Theme School 12
5 W/ Henry*** Ananya Augustine 7 / Eagle’s Landing Middle 13
5 R/ Clayton Sanieya Largent 8 / Elite Scholars Academy 14
6 W/ Crawford AiKevia Rutland 8 / Crawford County Middle 13
6 R/Houston Jaylen Jessie 5 / Parkwood Elementary 11
7 W/ Columbia Saisurya Lakkimsetti 6/ Stallings Island Middle 11
7 R/ Putnam Kellsey Ortega 6/ Putnam County Middle 11
8 W/ Bryan Nevaeh Lovett 8 / Bryan County Middle 13
8 R/ Glynn Kara Nuque 7 / Needwood Middle 12
9 W/ Decatur County Gurpreet Kaur 8 / Bainbridge Middle 14
9 R/ Brooks Lillian McCray 4 / North Brooks Elementary 9
GISA- W/ Peachtree Corners Troy Nguyen 7 / The Wesleyan School 12
GISA – R/Brookhaven Rex Nassah 7 / Marist School 12

*Photos are in order from left to right and down.
** Each region winner/runner-up will be sent their respective 1st/2nd place trophy, along with $200/$100 voucher, certificate, pin and ribbon.
***2020 State Runner-up

Finalists from around the state to compete for Georgia’s top speller

GAE State Spelling Bee