More than 100 students from schools throughout Merced County prepare to challenge themselves and each other at the Merced County Spelling Bee this December.
The annual written competition, which students prepare for as early as the start of the school year, will see elementary and junior high students compete for a chance to represent their district and Merced County at the state championship in the spring.
Similar to past years, the county competition is split into two days where elementary students compete on day one and junior high students compete on day two.
The elementary spelling bee will kick off the competition at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6 followed by the junior high competition at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7. Both spelling bees will take place at the Merced County Office of Education (MCOE) Downtown Center, 1715 Canal St., Merced.
The word moderator for the elementary competition is MCOE District Support Services Director Michelle Symes and the word moderator for the junior high competition is MCOE Continuous Improvement Director Laura Andrews.
Public and private schools across the county host their own spelling bees and then send the top two students to compete in the county competition. The first and second place competitors at each of the Merced County Spelling Bees will then advance to the California State Spelling Bees next year.
In-person spectators are not permitted at the competition; however, viewers can watch from home via livestream on MCOE social media channels.
For more information on the Merced County Spelling Bee, contact Stacie Arancibia at (209) 381-5910.