Wellesley Spelling Bee Buzzes Into Town Next Month

WELLESLEY, MA – Catch the buzz, feel the sting, bring your hive and make another lazy bee pun. The Wellesley Spelling Bee returns next month.

On Nov. 9, about 50 teams comprised of local businesses, law firms, alumni groups, community organizations school PTO's and Wellesley High School students will converge on Sprague Elementary for the 27th annual bee.

Contrary to the standard spelling bee, Wellesley's event does not involve solo spelling – rather, each team of three discusses the spelling of a word and then displays it on a slate.

Here's how the competition works:

All teams in a round spell words simultaneously – the emcee announces the word and the three team members can collaborate on the spelling of a word before writing down their answer on the slate provided. Teams have 25 seconds and then must display their answer. Those who display the correct answer continue.

Each team is made up of three members, and seven or eight teams compete in a round. The winner of each round then competes in the championship round to take home the Ruth Humphries Bee trophy. The winning team hangs onto the trophy for a year and has their name etched on a plaque in the Wellesley Free Library.

The event raises funds for the Wellesley Education Foundation, which invests in enrichment programs for Wellesley Public Schools.

Come out and support the competitors Nov. 9 at Sprague Elementary School.

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