Westport Students To Compete In Connecticut Spelling Bee

Information from the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society:

WESTPORT, CT — Who will have the last word? The Connecticut Spelling Bee will return to West Hartford on Sunday, March 3, 2024, and participants will compete for the chance to represent the state at the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The 7th Annual Connecticut Spelling Bee is presented by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford
Historical Society, Connecticut’s Official Regional Partner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The competition begins at 1 p.m. on March 3 at the Hoffman Auditorium at the University of Saint Joseph, located at 1678 Asylum Avenue in West Hartford.

Students who have made it to The Connecticut Spelling Bee have already won their school- or town-wide spelling bees. In some cases, that means being the top speller out of as many as 1,200 students. Over 10,000 Connecticut students in grades 2-8 participated in the spelling bee program this year. Out of that number, 57 are eligible to move on to The Connecticut Spelling Bee. This makes 2024 the most competitive Connecticut Spelling Bee in recent history, a number that continues to grow each year.

“As Connecticut’s official sponsor of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the Noah Webster House is
proud to present The Connecticut Spelling Bee to students from all across the state and we eagerly
await this year’s competition,” reflects Jeffrey Mainville, Executive Director of the Noah Webster
House & West Hartford Historical Society. “The students who made it this far are inspiring and we
look forward to a spirited showdown!”

Cheer on Connecticut’s top spellers! The Connecticut Spelling Bee is free and open to the public
(first come, first served). Doors open at 12:30 p.m. For more information about The Connecticut
Spelling Bee, please contact Alex Gerrish by phone at (860) 502-3247 or email at
events@noahwebsterhouse.org.

This year, schools from all eight of Connecticut’s counties participated in the spelling bee program. Schools include: Academic Homeschool (Westport), Academy For International Studies (Danbury), Alcott School (Wolcott), Andover Elementary School (Andover), Bristow Middle School (West Hartford), Bungay School (Seymour), Carrigan 5/6 Intermediate School (West Haven), Center School (East Hampton), Charles H Barrows Stem Academy (North Windham), Cloonan School (Stamford), CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering 6-12 (Windsor), Daniels Farm School (Trumbull), East Hampton Middle School (East Hampton), East Lyme Middle School (Niantic), Fields Memorial School (Bozrah), Glenville School (Greenwich), Great Plain School (Danbury), H. S. Chase School (Waterbury), Harry M. Bailey Middle School (West Haven), Helen Keller Middle School (Easton), High Horizons Magnet School (Bridgeport), Homeschool Education (Plainville), Hughes Homeschool (Newtown), Illing Middle School (Manchester), Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School (Bridgeport), Jumoke Academy (Hartford), King Philip Middle School (West Hartford), Mabelle B Avery Middle School (Somers), Mary R. Fisher Elementary School (North Grosvenor Dale), Middlesex Middle School (Darien), Milner Middle School (Hartford), Multicultural Magnet School (Bridgeport), North Stonington Elementary School (North Stonington), Northwestern Regional Middle School (Winsted), Old Greenwich School (Old Greenwich), Oxford Middle School (Oxford), Park City Magnet School (Bridgeport), Pearson Middle School (Winsted), Pembroke School (Danbury), Renzulli Academy (Hartford), Sandy Hook Elementary School (Sandy Hook), Scotts Ridge Middle School (Ridgefield), Sedgwick Middle School (West Hartford), Seven Acres Montessori School (Wilton), Seymour Middle School (Seymour), Somers Elementary School (Somers), Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy (Orange), Spencer School (Middletown), Strawberry Hill International School (Stamford), The Gilbert School (Winsted), Thomaston Center School (Thomaston), Thompson Middle School (North Grosvenor Dale), Toquam Magnet School (Stamford), Torrington Middle School (Torrington), Totoket Valley Elementary School (Northford), Vernon Center Middle School (Vernon), and Westbrook Middle School (Westbrook).

The winner of The Connecticut Spelling Bee will represent the state at the Scripps National Spelling Bee May 26, 2024, through May 31, 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Port Washington, Maryland. Last year’s Connecticut winner, 6th grader Nathan Settevendemie from Somers’ Mabelle B. Avery Middle School, made it to Round 5 in the national competition, tying for 57th place. In addition to traveling to Scripps National Spelling Bee, the top Connecticut speller will receive a $1,000 scholarship to the University of Saint Joseph.

The museum would like to thank the University of Saint Joseph for their support of The Connecticut Spelling Bee.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a cultural destination where citizens can learn to understand and appreciate the past. The museum preserves the birthplace of Noah Webster, the founding father, educator, author, and lexicographer who taught generations of Americans what it means to be American. This National Historic Landmark is also a repository for the history of West Hartford, the community that molded Noah Webster’s future and is still thriving over 250 years later. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open Monday through Saturday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362 for information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs.