2012 American Library
Spelling Bee
The Winners!
Victoria Steckham (l) and Sabrina Dörr (r) with their awards and medals.
Spelling Bee Fast
Facts:
93 Participants
31 Finalists
14 Schools
23 Nationalities
8 Mini-Bee school
demonstrations
2 Bake Sales
120 Attendees at
the movie
"Akeelah and the
Bee"
Summer 2011...the Bee is Born!
As with all projects, the Spelling Bee
came into being when an idea – a desire
to increase the American Library’s
presence in the wider community –
benefitted from a fortuitous meeting of
individuals – the Librarian, Julia Arnold,
and two parents, Caroline McKoen and
Sheila Doucet. What more compelling
place to begin than with the basic
building block of books – a contest
surrounding words! The “Friends of the
American Library” immediately stepped
in to support the effort in the person of
Dagmara Berztiss. We were soon joined
by Judi Weston to complete the
© 2012 Brought to you by Sheila and Dagmara
organizing committee, which became
known as “The Hive”.
The concept was finalized to fulfill three
concordant goals:
•
•
•
to increase awareness of the
library’s activities
to foster cooperation among the
English- and German-speaking
communities
to spark interest in words – and
books! – among children
V.i.S.d.P.: Freunde der Amerik. Bibliothek Karlsruhe e.V., Postfach 2446, 76012 Karlsruhe
Page 2 of 10
Spelling Bee
The Concept
Who:
Students aged 9-12 and 13-15 in the greater Karlsruhe area. Participants
competed as individuals. All skill levels were encouraged to join the fun.
What:
The American Library Spelling Bee
• Round One: a preliminary written test (20 words from the age
appropriate word list + 5 bonus words)
• Round Two: an oral final contest
The Hive (from l to r): Dagmara, Sheila,
Julia, Judi and Caroline.
The words in Round One and the initial rounds of the oral Final were drawn
from a WORD LIST – 300 age appropriate words published on the web page.
All students – regardless of their level – were thereby ensured of having an
equal opportunity to shine.
Registration:
The registration cost per participant was 5 euros.
"Students who improve
their spelling,
vocabulary and reading
comprehension are
already Grand Prize
Winners!”
Round One:
The preliminary written test was taken in February 2012 either at the library or
proctored by a teacher at the student's school. The written tests were corrected
twice and the best students in each age group were invited to take part in the
oral final.
Final:
The Final was held Saturday, March 17, 2012 at the American Library.
Prizes:
For each age group, three top prizes were awarded:
• Third Prize: Amazon gift certificate (30 euro)
• Second Prize: Amazon gift certificate (50 euro)
• Spelling Bee Grand Prize: i-pod Touch (8GB)
All Finalists, excluding prize winners, were also eligible for three randomly
drawn consolation prizes: one pair of theater tickets donated by the Badisches
Staatstheater Karlsruhe and two 10 euro Gift Certificates from Thalia bookstore.
October: Launch to Teachers
Over 50 teachers and school
administrators were contacted
announcing the Bee and inviting
them and their students to accept the
challenge! Although the Bee is an
individual activity, teachers were
seen as a critical link to their students.
Teachers were invited to download
the words – and, if desired, to
incorporate the words into their
lesson plans. The teachers were also
offered the opportunity of having
native English speakers come to their
classrooms to explain the Spelling
Bee concept. The entire effort was
designed with the needs of both
native speakers and advanced English
language learners in mind.
Page 3 of 10
Spelling Bee
November: Bee Launch at the
Friends Book and Bake Sale
The official Bee launch occurred at the “Friends of the American Library in
Karlsruhe, e.V.” bi-annual Book and Bake Sale on November 12, 2011.
Information was distributed, the concept was explained and ... our first
candidates were registered. Thanks to the “Friends” for their tasty, fanciful
baked goods!
Mini-Bees
Spelling Bees are an iconic
component of American school life.
However, because many children –
and teachers – might not be familiar
with the spelling bee concept, during
the months of October and
November teachers and students
were offered the chance to witness
firsthand what a spelling bee entails.
In each class, two teams were created
to introduce the idea of a friendly
competition. Honey candies were
distributed to all participants,
questions answered and promotional
materials handed out.
A group of native English speakers
conducted a total of eight “MiniBees” involving more than 150
students.
•
Homophones were presented
because, although sometimes tricky,
they are within the grasp of both
mother-tongue English speakers and
second language learners.
Participating schools were:
•
•
•
•
Heisenberg Gymnasium,
Karlsruhe - Grade 9
Heisenberg Gymnasium,
Ettlingen - Grades 6 & 8
Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium,
Königsbach-Stein - Grade 6
European School Karlsruhe Grades 5 & 6
Max-Planck-Gymnasium,
Karlsruhe - Grade 7 (x2)
aisle, isle
The bride walked down the aisle to the altar.
There are many uninhabited isles in the Australian seas.
allowed, aloud
Smoking is not allowed in this restaurant.
The teacher asked the student to read aloud from the textbook.
ate, eight
We ate spaghetti for dinner last night.
School begins at eight o’clock.
bare, bear
I like to walk on a beach in bare feet.
I saw a grizzly bear at Yellowstone Park.
"Mini-Bee" at the GS 5E class European
School, Karlsruhe
Page 4 of 10
Spelling Bee
Promotional Materials
Registration forms, movie flyers,
postcards, handouts, posters.
An amply furnished and regularly
updated website (http://www.expatkarlsruhe.com/spelling-bee),
postcards (2000), posters (100),
handbills, handouts, information
sheets, souvenir pencils... a wealth of
event specific materials were
developed over a five month period.
All these efforts paid off – 93 students
enrolled in this first ever event.
Students from fourteen different
schools in the Greater Karlsruhe area
– stretching from ISF in Frankfurt to
The European School in Strasbourg –
participated.
Painting the Town Gold
... including the library
Page 5 of 10
Spelling Bee
Akeelah and the Bee
On Saturday, January 28, 2012 –
thanks to a generous grant from the
American Consulate, Frankfurt – a
free showing of the film “Akeelah and
the Bee” occurred at the “Studio 3”
theater in Karlsruhe. The event, with
over 120 people in attendance, was
upbeat and generated interest in the
community at-large. It should be
noted that one Gymnasium teacher
brought her entire second language
English class. Another Gymnasium
teacher and three of his students
acting as “Junior Reporters”
conducted an audience opinion poll
and wrote a movie review. Both
judges attended, and several students
registered for the Bee following the
movie. A good day was enjoyed by
all!
The W-O-R-D-S!
Three hundred words for each age
group! What a daunting task – first
selection and review. Then definition,
pronunciation, part of speech, use in
a sentence, and word origin – for 600
words.
Many thanks to the numerous Busy
Bees – located from as far afield as
San Francisco, San Diego and London
to New York and Melbourne – who
volunteered a moment of their
precious time to help in this critical
step.
Thanks to our Word Master for
compiling, enhancing and organizing
the lists.
Thanks to our proofreaders who
reviewed the words and sentences.
lack·a·dai·si·cal
adj lacking life, spirit, or zest :
languid
Origin: from the archaic
interjection lackaday + ical.
The boss did not approve
of his lackadaisical
approach to his job.
Feeling particularly
lackadaisical in the
summer heat, they lazily
tossed a ball back and
forth.
If each child has familiarized him/herself with as few as two
new words, our cause has been won because…
“The more you read, the more you know.
The more you know, the smarter you grow.
The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice
When speaking your mind or making your choice »
–- Anonymous
Synonyms: enervated,
listless, languid,
languishing, languorous,
limp, spiritless
Antonyms: ambitious,
animated, energetic,
enterprising, motivated
Source:
http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary
Page 6 of 10
Spelling Bee
Round One: The Written Test
Ninety-three students from 14
different schools registered for the
Bee:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Round One participants with
Certificates at the European School in
Karlsruhe.
•
•
•
•
Eichendorff Gymnasium
(Ettlingen)
European School, Karlsruhe
Ecole Européenne de Strasbourg
Freie Waldorfschule (Karlsruhe)
Goethe Gymnasium (Karlsruhe)
Heidelberg International School
Heisenberg Gymnasium
(Ettlingen)
Internationale Schule Frankfurt Rhein - Main
Kurfürst Friedrich Gymnasium
(Heidelberg)
Max-Planck-Gymnasium
(Karlsruhe)
Realschule Linkenheim
St. Dominikus Gymnasium
(Karlsruhe)
Thiebautschule (Ettlingen)
Thomas-Mann-Gymnasium
(Stutensee)
Students could take the written
Round One either at the library or in
their school if the class had more
than three students enrolled in the
Bee or if the school was located
outside of the immediate vicinity of
Karlsruhe.
Round One at the American Library
took place during 7 different sessions
in February and was proctored by
volunteers. Many of the proctors
remembered their own experiences in
past Spelling Bees and were excited
to have the tradition continue. Each
student received a Certificate of
Participation and official "American
Library in Karlsruhe Spelling Bee"
pencil.
Three schools availed themselves of
the option to have Round One in
their school. We were thereby able to
accommodate a large number of
students who might otherwise have
been unable to participate in the Bee.
A complete package of materials sent
to our proctors included the Official
Word List, answer forms, a Certificate
of Participation for each child, a
souvenir pencil, honey bonbons and
our official poster.
The International School of Frankfurt
Rhein-Main (ISF) even created its own
Spelling Bee event by showing the
movie, “Akeelah and the Bee” after
taking the written exam.
Results: In the 9-12 age group there
were 19 perfect scores and even two
with all 20 words plus the five bonus
words perfectly spelled. In the 13-15
age group, one speller had a perfect
score of 20 words correctly spelled.
For the Finalists
Our 31 Finalists represented 14
different nationalities from 6 schools.
Award Certificate and Medal for Place
Winners
Familiarizing oneself with 300 words
is no easy task – and being poised on
stage spelling those words took
courage. In recognition of this,
special applause for all Finalists was
formulated in a specially formatted
letter and each participant received a
personalized photo taken during the
Bee Final. The final 3 Place Winners
earned a specially crafted Award
Certificate (signed by the Karlsruhe
Mayor of Culture and the librarian), a
medal and, of course, their special
prizes.
Letter congratulating Finalists
for their excellent work.
Personalized photo of Finalist.
Page 7 of 10
Spelling Bee
The Honeycomb: Our Newsletter
In order to foster interest in The Bee,
a newsletter was launched. The idea
was to feature Bee related news
topics and, whenever possible, to
collaborate with a panel of students.
To that end, our first issue featured a
Junior Reporter interview of one of
our judges, in which she shared her
childhood memories of her 9th grade,
school-wide spelling Bee.
In February, a workshop on “How to
Write a Movie Review” at the
Heisenberg Gymnasium, Ettlingen
was the basis for the newsletter. Three
students attended the “Akeelah”
showing and contributed their review
to “The Honeycomb”.
The March edition featured ISF
(International School of Frankfurt,
Rhein-Main), a school which
organized an intra-school “Spelling
Bee” event. After the ROUND ONE
preliminary round, the students
enjoyed watching “Akeelah and the
Bee”.
Our post-Bee feature presented the
2012 “Top Spellers” and launched
the “Wacky Word” Challenge.
Students were asked to select their
favorite “Wacky Word” from the
word list, use it (correctly!) at school
and share their experiences with the
rest of the Bee community.
In the Press
Badische Neueste Nachrichten, Montag, 19. März 2012
Karlsruher Kind, Januar 2012, pp 20
On the Web:
www.expat-karlsruhe.com/spelling-bee
http://kalender.karlsruhe.de/kalender/d
b/termine/kultur/sonstiges/buchstabier
wettbewerb_american_library_spelling_
bee.html
http://www.karlsruhe.de/b2/bibliothek
en/zweigstellen/amerikanische_bib/ver
an_amerika
Ettlinger Heisenberg-Schüler beim Auftakt des englischen
Buchstabierwettbewerbs "Spelling Bee" der American Library Karlsruhe
Geschrieben von: Jens Olbertz
http://www.eskeltern.de/de/category/archiv/americanlibrary-karlsruhe-spelling-bee-come-joinfun
published on:
http://www.hbg.ka.bw.schule.de/neuer/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id
=198:ettlinger-schueler-beim-auftakt-zum-wettbewerb-qspellingbeeq&catid=37:schuljahr-201112&Itemid=132
http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/i
ndex.php/t239732.html
Spelling Bee
Page 8 of 10
March 17, 2012: The Spelling Bee Final!
The American Library was the place to be as proud families and enthusiastic
supporters cheered Finalists who matched wits, prowess, and spelling strategies.
From l to r: The judges, Dr. Viginia
Teichmann and Dr. Karen AdamsRischmann, the Word Master Laura
Russell, the Master of Ceremonies
Edward Gauntt and our Queen Bee
Julia Arnold.
Triple S Rule
Say it
Spell it
Say it
Page 9 of 10
Spelling Bee
Winning Words
13-15 year olds
3rd place: nomenclature
2nd place: profligate
1st place: feign
The three top spellers in the 13-15 years of age group:
1. Sabrina Doerr, European School of Karlsruhe
2. Thomas Dobbertin, Max-Planck-Gymnasium, Karlsruhe
3. Jenya Yurkova, Ecole Européenne de Strasbourg
Winning Words
9-12 year olds
3rd place: gentrification
2nd place: equilibrium
1st place: tantalize
The top three spellers in the 9-12-year old group:
1. Victoria Steckhan, European School of Karlsruhe
2. Sophie Kristensen, Ecole Européenne de Strasbourg
3. Elisabeth Julien, Ecole Européenne de Strasbourg
Spelling Bee
Page 10 of 10
THANK YOU!
The 2012 American Library Spelling Bee – the first of its kind – was an allvolunteer event. We are grateful to those who dedicated many hours in making
this event a success.
The Bee Hive:
Sheila Doucet:
Co-Chair, Lead Writer, Mini-Bees, Assistant Word Master, The
Honeycomb, Junior Reporters, Photography
Dagmara Berztiss:
Co-Chair, Administration, Media Relations, Formatting and
Presentations, Assistant Word Master, The Honeycomb
Caroline McKoen:
Webmaster, Mini-Bee Coordinator, Sponsor Contact, Assistant Word
Master, Surrogate Mom at the Bee
Judith Weston:
Mini-Bees, Community Recruitment, Assistant Word Master
Julia Arnold:
Sponsor Contact, Media Relations, Mini-Bees, Queen Bee
Dr. Virginia Teichmann and Dr. Karen Adams-Rischmann
Judges
Laura Russell
Word Master
Edward Gauntt
Master of Ceremonies
Norma Lahmeyer, Barbara Sinnemann, Elizabeth Doerr, Rebecca Gardiner
Selina Kenny, Sheila Doucet, Janice Fawcett, Judith Weston, Pam von
Hirschfeld
Round One Monitors
and the bakers and baked goods sellers, furniture movers, proofreaders (German
and English), good idea givers, photographers,...
Our most important thanks go out to our faithful S-P-E-L-L-E-R-S!
Sponsors
Our special thanks to the US General Consulate Frankfurt and the Department
of State: Public Affairs for their generous financial support. Thanks to Carolin
Zarske of Zarske Design who created our charming Bee logo, poster and
awards. Our Internet presence was superbly established and maintained by
expat-karlsruhe.com for which we are very grateful. The Stadtbibliothek
Karlsruhe provided the premises for the Bees, and helped with public relations
and postage for which we are thankful. The "Friends of the American Library
Karlsruhe e.V." were very supportive in logistical matters as well as providers of
delicious baked goods!
Thank you all!
Final thoughts
If you would be interested in helping coordinate the 2013 Spelling Bee, are
willing to donate prizes, act as a sponsor or have any other ideas, please contact
us at: [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you next year!