A group of children standing on a stage, holding signs with letters that spell out the names of the elements in the periodic

2024 PHM Elementary Spell Bowl Results

Posted on March 20, 2024

Tuesday, March 19 was P-H-M’s annual Elementary Spell Bowl event. Student 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teams from all 11 elementary schools compete. Click here to see the photo gallery below.

Below is this year’s “leaderboard”:

3rd Grade Winners:

3rd gr. winners, Northpoint

  • 1st place- Northpoint with 29 points, coached by Nichol Monday
  • 2nd place- Prairie Vista with 27 points
  • 3rd place tie – Bittersweet, Horizon and Mary Frank each with 22 points

4th Grade Winners:

4th gr winners, Northpoint

  • 1st place- Northpoint with 30 points, coached by Jen Payne
  • 2nd place- Bittersweet with 29 points
  • 3rd place- Prairie Vista with 27 points

The 5th grade competition was very close with Northpoint and Bittersweet neck and neck. The tiebreaker words were: panache, soup du jour, fluorescence, pharmaceutical and Albuquerque.

5th Grade Winners:

5th gr winners, Northpoint  5th gr 2nd place, Bittersweet

  • 1st place- Northpoint with 38 points, coached by Ros Morehouse 
  • 2nd place- Bittersweet with 37 points
  • 3rd place tie – Prairie Vista and Horizon each with 26 points

Overall Bittersweet did so well that when the 5th grade team came out on stage to be recognized, the other students and parents cheered, clapped, and gave them a rousing round of congratulations!

Bittersweet team recognized  Bittersweet recognized

The teams spend weeks preparing for Spell Bowl with their teacher coaches. They may study word lists, learn about derivations (e.g., Latin roots) and rules (e.g., capitalization, pluralization), and how to spell correctly under pressure.

The format of the Spell Bowl is more like a written test. The emcee reads a word and uses the word in a sentence, the students listen and then write it on paper within a 15-second time limit. The students’ written entries are reviewed by a panel of judges and then their score is posted in front of the audience. Each correct word spelling is worth one point.

The annual event is held in Penn High School’s Center for Performing Arts to not only accommodate all the student teams, but also the students’ “fans,” which are their family, friends and other staff from their home schools!

Mrs. Cassie Scarsella, P-H-M’s High Ability Coordinator, manages the Spell Bowl and works to assure that it is a positive and enriching experience for students. Academic competition can give students confidence, increase their motivation to sharpen their skills and abilities, and expand their opportunities to receive recognition.

Children on stage performing at a school event, with audience clapping in support.
Students on stage participating in a spelling bee competition.
Auditorium filled with people seated in rows of chairs, watching a performance on stage.
Children in blue shirts standing on stage at a school event, posing for a picture with a sign that reads "2024 PHM
Group of people in a theater, some clapping, others watching, all wearing masks; audience members seated on chairs and
Group of students on stage at a school event, posing for a picture in front of a podium with a sign that reads '2024 PHM
Team of children at a podium, posing for a picture after participating in a spelling bee competition.
Children on stage in front of microphones, holding signs with names of cities and states, participating in a spelling
Crowd of people sitting in rows of chairs, clapping their hands in a theater setting.
Students on stage at a school event, posing for a picture in front of a sign advertising the 2024 PHM Elementary Spell Bowl
A group of children in blue shirts standing on a stage in front of a podium, smiling and posing for a picture.
A group of children on stage at a school event, posing in front of a podium and presentation screen.
Team of six students participating in a spelling bee competition on stage.
Young children on stage performing in a school event.

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Last Modified March 22, 2024