The Newton County School System (NCSS) will host the 2016 District Spelling Bee on Friday, February 5, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at Newton High School. Each of the school system’s elementary and middle schools will send its spelling bee champion to participate in the county competition. Students in grades four through eight were eligible to participate in their school competitions. In addition to the champion, each school will send its runner up in the school spelling bee as an alternate in the event the school champion is unable to participate.

“Even in the technology rich world that we live in today, spelling continues to be an important tool because the written word is so powerful,” said Benjamin B. Roundtree, Director of Elementary Schools. “Among other things, the spelling bee supports our students’ learning by enhancing their understanding of vocabulary relative to spelling and by promoting correct word usage. Indeed, spelling bee competitions in our schools continue to be highly anticipated events, and we are happy to continue this venerable tradition.”

During the competition, contestants must spell the word they are given correctly. After having started to spell a word, the contestant will not be given any opportunity to change the letters, once pronounced. If a speller fails to spell the word correctly, he must step out of the competition.

Once the competition is down to just two remaining contestants, the elimination procedure will change. When one finalist misses a word, the other finalist will spell the next word on the caller’s list. If the contestant spells that word and the next word on the list correctly, he or she will be declared the winner. If he or she misspells either of those two words, the other finalist will be given the next word on the caller’s list to spell. If that finalist spells the next word and the next correctly, he or she will be declared the winner. If both finalists misspell their word, both shall continue in the Bee and the one who first misspelled his or her word shall be given the next word on the caller’s list to spell.

The judges and the Newton County Spelling Bee Committee are in complete control of the Bee at all times and the judges’ decision shall be final on all matters.

Parents and family members are invited to attend the NCSS Spelling Bee; however, we ask that parents refrain from bringing infants and small children to the competition as they may distract the contestants. We also ask that flash photography only be used after the competition is completed.

Newton County School System’s 2016 school-level spelling bee champions are as follows:

SCHOOL	CHAMPION	ALTERNATE
East Newton Elementary	Riley Worley	Jewel Thomas
Fairview Elementary	Joey Reynolds	Jaimoni Parker
Flint Hill Elementary	Zadia Atkism	Zavier Wallace
Heard-Mixon Elementary	Mason Westbrook	Lynda Coots
Live Oak Elementary	Nicholas Duclosel	Naijha Barnes
Livingston Elementary	Nikilis Johnson	Ashley Holland
Mansfield Elementary	Dylan Jones	Steven Livingston
Middle Ridge Elementary	Domonick Cooper	Taliah Cornish
Newton County Theme School  at Ficquett	Scott Evritt	Cheyanne Washington
Oak Hill Elementary	Shelby  Housworth	Aiden  Ruffin
Porterdale Elementary	Raina Mannah	Jaden Grier
Rocky Plains Elementary	Cameron Jones	David Remington
South Salem Elementary	Reagan Key	Leila Diallo
West Newton Elementary	Jade Neal	Isabel  Cuadros
Clements Middle	Jayden Wheeler	Justice Ferguson
Cousins Middle	Stephanie Vaughn	Laura Jean Dole
Indian Creek Middle	Jet Rawls	Brendan Glaspie
Liberty Middle	Safiyyah Rahim	David Byrke
Veterans Memorial Middle	Emerson Greendridge	Jacob Lynch

The winner of the Newton County School System Spelling Bee will represent the school district at the Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at Sequoyah Middle School in Riverdale, Georgia.