“S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E,” after many years of absence, the Spelling Bee has returned to PHS. 

  On Wednesday, Dec. 6, 20 students gathered in Room 30A to participate in the Spelling Bee. 

  English teachers Elise Marks, Jamieson Mockel, and Hayley Adams moderated the competition. 

  There were three preliminary rounds: during each round, every student was given one word to spell. These words were selected from a list containing 68 words that had been randomly chosen from a 350-word study list that had been sent out to participants. 

  Each student had 40 seconds to spell out their given word correctly. 

  These preliminary rounds would determine whether a student would move on to the official Spelling Bee that will be conducted using the National Spelling Bee standards, Adams said. 

  In order to advance to the official Spelling Bee, participants would have to spell two out of the three words they received during the preliminary round of the competition.    

  Of the 20 participants who participated in the preliminary rounds of the competitions, only 12 will advance to the official Spelling Bee, which will be held sometime in the spring.  

 Adams said that the purpose of the Spelling Bee was to bring the community closer together and foster confidence within students. 

  “[ASB wanted] to celebrate students who aren’t just the athletes, aren’t just in the big time [things] like plays. We wanted to show more academic stuff. [Through the Spelling Bee] we can enjoy all the strengths that the kids have on campus,” Adams said. 

  Students are excited about the return of the Spelling Bee.

  “[The Spelling Bee] seems like a fun thing to do before I leave high school,” senior Ben Ferguson said.