Let the spelling Bee-gin
School districts throughout North Idaho start their spelling bees Friday as qualifiers to the North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee, scheduled for Saturday, March 17 at North Idaho College.
The winner of the regional bee will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in June, courtesy of bee sponsor the Coeur d'Alene Press.
A total of 52 schools in 11 districts (including public, private and home school students across the five northern counties of Idaho) are involved in this year's spelling bee, according to North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee Coordinator Mindy Patterson of NIC.
District spelling bees will wrap up in January in preparation for the North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee at NIC in March. About 55 students are expected to participate in the ninth annual event.
District bees:
Kootenai School District, 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, Harrison Elementary (elementary), Kootenai Jr/Sr. High School (6th-8th grades)
St. Maries School District, 9 a.m. (fourth grade) and 10:30 a.m. (fifth grade) Friday, Jan. 20, Heyburn Elementary School, 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20 (6th-8th grades), St. Maries Middle School
North Idaho Home Educators Association, 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, Grace Bible Church in Coeur d'Alene
Boundary County School District, 11:50 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 (elementary), Bonners Ferry Free Methodist Church, (The middle school bees have already been held)
West Bonner County School District, 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, Priest River Elementary
Lakeland School District, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, Twin Lakes Elementary
Coeur d'Alene School District, 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Coeur d'Alene High School
Kellogg School District, 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Pinehurst Elementary
Lake Pend Oreille School District, 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Sandpoint High School
Plummer-Worley Joint School District, 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Lakeside Elementary School
Private School Spelling Bee, (including Christian Center School, Coeur d'Alene Christian School, House of the Lord Christian Academy and Lutheran Academy of the Master), 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Lutheran Academy of the Master in Coeur d'Alene