District Spelling Bee
The District Spelling Bee will be held in January virtually.
Important Spelling Bee Dates
- September 2021: Register your school online each September for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
- October 30, 2021: School-level spelling bees must be entered and registered at Spellingbee.com by October 30, prior to conducting the school-level spelling bee.
- December 10, 2021: School bees must be held prior to December 10, 2021.
- December 11, 2021: Champion and runner-up names will be submitted to APS Curriculum and Instruction no later than December 11, 2021.
- January 20, 2022: The District Spelling Bee will be held virtually.
APS District Spelling Bee General Information
Study Lists
Once your school is registered and you have paid your fee you can download the spelling and vocabulary lists. To download the lists, log in and go to Resources – Study Tips. From there you will be able to access study lists for district/national bee preparation. The Word Club link (found below the “Study Tips” link), offers other resources for students to prep for the Bee.
Spelling Bee Coordinator
Each year, you will need to send the name of your Spelling Bee Coordinator at your school site by the first week of October to the APS District Spelling Bee Coordinator in the Curriculum & Instruction Department. Call the main office at (505) 872-6874 to access the District Spelling Bee Coordinator.
School Site Spelling Bee
School site Spelling Bees need to be completed before Winter Break each year since the requirement from Scripps is that School Bees must be held before the first semester ends. Send the District Coordinator your date as soon as possible.
Spelling Bee Winners
Winners will advance to the New Mexico State Spelling Bee. Information on the New Mexico State Bee will be available after the APS District Bee is complete.
- The name, grade, and age of the Champion and Alternate should be submitted before Winter Break to the APS District Coordinator.
- Each school will be sending one champion to the District Bee.
- There will also need to be a designated alternate, but the alternate will participate in the District Bee only if the champion is unable to participate.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee
- Students who participate in the Scripps Spelling Bee at all levels (school, district, and national), are required to be ages 8-14 years; and
- Students are required to have completed the first grade to participate, even if they are 8 years old and currently in the first grade.
Important Information
- All levels of bees in New Mexico are NOT required to add a vocabulary component, but the APS District Spelling Bee and the New Mexico State Spelling Bee will have a vocabulary component. It is up to your school site what you want to use for your bee, but your Champion and the Alternate once determined should be given the vocabulary list as well as the spelling list.
- Charter schools hold their own spelling bee unless they are APS charters.
- The Spanish Spelling Bee is conducted by the Language & Cultural Equity Department of APS.