Spelling Bee

Each spring, the witf Central PA Spelling Bee invites 5th to 8th grade students from 10 surrounding counties to demonstrate their spelling knowledge as they attempt to make their way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Interested schools register with Scripps in the fall and then conduct their own qualifying Spelling Bee at their school. Winners from each of the participating schools compete in a 100 word written test held at the witf Public Media Center. The top spellers participate in an oral championship spell down, which is then broadcast on witf TV. The winner from that bee qualifies to compete nationally in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Finalists for 2013 Spelling Bee Announced

Written by witf.org, | Feb 1, 2013 2:21 PM

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About 150 spellers qualified, representing 66 schools from 10 counties in central Pennsylvania. They all gathered on January 27 and took a 100-word written test at the witf Public Media Center in Harrisburg..

Thirty-six of the top spellers are now advancing to the Grand Championship Spelling Bee on February 23. While competing onstage at the witf Public Media Center, these spellers will rely on their hours of studying and understanding of a word’s origins to avoid the dreaded bell signaling they are wrong and out. The finalists for 2013 witf’s Grand Championship Spelling Bee are:

Aleah Alderson, Mt. Carmel Area JSHS
Kevin Ballentine, Yellow Breeches MS, South Middleton SD
Anne Baskwill, York Suburban MS
Alex Byrne, Central York MS
Jacob Chadwell, Infinity Charter School
Jasmine Deitz, Northern Lebanon MS
Katie Dudding, St. Joseph School, Mechanicsburg
Derek Etter, Red Lion Area JHS
Tessa Flanagan, Palmyra Area MS
Kaitlyn Galliher, Susquenita MS
Grace Gilbert, Lower Dauphin MS
Gloria Givler, Camp Hill MS
Harshita Gupta, Good Hope MS, Cumberland Valley SD
Faith Harron, Lamberton MS, Carlisle Area SD
Taylor Haupt, Eagle View MS, Cumberland Valley SD
Kara Kohler, Lemoyne MS, West Shore SD
Jin Hyung Lee, Tuscarora JHS, Juniata County SD
Abby Madar, Mechanicsburg MS
Sara Malina, Linglestown MS, Central Dauphin SD
Dusty Martin, Shippensburg Area MS
Sarah Martin, Greencastle-Antrim MS
Matthew Miller, Greencastle-Antrim MS
Krittika Negandhi, Good Hope MS, Cumberland Valley SD
Ashley Phillips, Selinsgrove Area MS
Olivia Ramsey, Swatara MS, Central Dauphin SD
Aparajita Rao, St. Joan of Arc School, Hershey
Rohan Rashid, Conewago Valley IS
Noah Ryan, Yellow Breeches MS, South Middleton SD
Lauren Silver, Linglestown MS, Central Dauphin SD
Mara Smeltzer, Gettysburg Area MS
Katie Stoak, Linglestown MS, Central Dauphin SD
Edward Trippett Jr., Central York MS
Laura Weiss, St. Joseph School, Mechanicsburg
Gabe Wisniewski, Middletown Area MS
Madeline Wolfe, Palmyra Area MS
Devin Yeatter, Big Spring MS

Quiz: Can you spell the words on last year's Central PA Spelling Bee written test?

Thank you to all the spellers who participated in the written test and congratulations to all who are advancing!

Competitors continue until only one speller remains. That Grand Champion will then travel to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C. area in the spring.

You can watch the contest on witf TV, Sunday, February 24 at 5 p.m. with rebroadcasts on Wednesday, February 27 at 7 p.m. and Friday, March 1 at 1pm.

witf’s Central PA Spelling Bee is supported by The Hershey Company, The Kline Foundation and Volvo Construction Equipment.