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NEW DETAILS OF THE 2008 SCRIPPS SPELLING BEE

Click here for New details of the
Scripps National Spelling Bee 2008

2008 Canwest Canspell Spelling Bee

Steeltown Kid, Veronica Penny proved to be the best speller in Hamilton, and the 5th (tied for 4th) best speller in all of Canada.

See below for EXCLUSIVE interviews with 2 time Champion Finola Hackett, Toronto Champ, Jessica Zung and 2008 Champion Emma Brownlie!

Here are some Media Reports:

*  Penny is tops in spelling bee

*  Youth puts a Spell on older competitors
CanWest Canspell; Girl, 9, claims title at regional spelling bee

2008 CANWEST CANSPELL NATIONAL FINALS
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
April 18-19, 2008 Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec

TWO TIME CANSPELL CHAMP FINOLA HACKETT

We checked in, went to the Speller's Lounge and collected my goody bags and snacks,then changed into bathing suits and jumped into the pool. We swam about 20 laps, and then we jumped into the hot tub. Then went into the sauna. Then we drooped, sweating and sleepy, back to our suite and showered.

Then we (not anyone else, just me and Mom) walked down Sparks Street and went to the Currency Museum. Then we walked back.Then we tried Yahoo! (to talk to my siblings).  It didn't work well, so we tried Skype. It worked, so we used it. Then we went down to dinner and here is what I had.... 3 chicken wings, 3 slices of pizza, fries,1/2 can of Fresca, and 2 bee-tinis(cranberry juice, pineapple, and Sprite).  Me & Mom played Jenga, and then air hockey. Then we went to our suite, changed,and went back on Skype. Then I watched Hannah Montana, then went to bed.

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***April 17 2008***
I woke up and went down to the buffet breakfast. Then we went upstairs and digested until, well, until we went to the Parliament.

We explored the Peace Tower and then went to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and then went to the War Museum.

And then we started on the downtown walking tour.  We walked and walked until we made it to a giant spider statue thing called Maman. Then we got bussed back to the Lord Elgin and relaxed a little.

Then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe. I had 2 pieces of chicken and 1 serving of fries. I touched John Entwistle's guitar a few times.  It was missing a bass string.

22 SEMI-FINALISTS AT THE PARLIAMENT

***April 18 2008***
We woke up and got bussed to CMC.  We ate breakfast then started the bee.  I made it to the finals.

After the Preliminaries, we had a light lunch at CMC.  Then we went to the Parliament and had a press conference.

Then we went to the hotel and we swam.  Dinner was pasta and salad.  Then we went back to the suite and Skyped and I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Here are the 11 finalists:

Ottawa Emma Brownlie
Vancouver Grace Tsai
Prince George Breanna Siemens
Okanagan Julieann Hutteman
Calgary Cody Wang
Edmonton Austin Davis
Charlottetown Jonathan Schut
Kamloops Curtis Bogetti
Victoria Victoria Lan
Toronto Jessica Zung
Hamilton Me

***April 19 2008 ***
We woke up and changed and went to the CMC and I had a light breakfast of Froot Loops, a yogurt, and a chocolate muffin. 

The spelling bee proceeded and I ended up tied with 4th place in the 12th round.  We had a nice lunch at the Museum, and some words with Katherine Barber.  We went back to the hotel, relaxed, and went to the wrap party.  Then we went to bed.

***April 20 2008***
We ate breakfast.  I had a pineapple danish and fruit.  Sam (Mom's friend) drove us to his house to fix his TV and look at his new house.  Then we went to the airport.  We took a taxi home and had pizza.

Here are my 12 words:

Here are the top 6 Spellers:
(The 3 on the left are tied for 4th)

Jessica Zung, Veronica Penny, Grace Tsai, Emma Brownlie, Cody Wang, Curtis Bogetti

Here are some of my Canspell interviews:

2008 Canspell Champion Emma Brownlie

Veronica Penny: How much did you study?
Emma Brownlie: 1-2 hours a day.
VP:  How long have you been studying?
EB:  Since September.
VP:  What are you doing with the giant cards?
EB:  I'm taking them home.
VP:  Do you think that the fact that you're from Ottawa helped you win?
EB:  No
VP:  Have you been in this before?
EB:  This one? Three years, only made it this year.
VP:  What are your hobbies?
EB:  Swimming, biking, hockey, horseback riding, skiing.
VP:  Do your friends treat you any different now that you've won?
EB:  Happy, proud. But after a while, they forget.
VP:  Did you expect to win?
EB:  No, I didn't expect to win.
VP:  How far did you expect to go?
EB:  Second day. 
VP:  How do you feel when complete strangers walk up and say ''Good job?''
EB:  Weirded out

2005 and 2006 CanSpell Champion Finola Hackett
Veronica Penny: How did you study?
Finola Hackett: I studied for a few hours a day.  For the first year not too much.  The second year like ten months.
VP:  What are your hobbies?
FH:  A lot of piano, music, Irish dancing, soccer, badminton, and swimming.
VP:  Where are you from?
FH:  Tofield, Alberta.
VP:  Did you know the words in this bee?
FH:   Most, but not all.
VP:  Do your friends treat you any different now that you're a champion?
FH:  No, supportive.
VP:  How do you feel when complete strangers tell you ''good  job''?
FH:  I'm weirded out.

2007 Toronto SBOC and Canspell Champion Jessica Zung

Interview With: Jessica Zung, Toronto Champion, number 13
Veronica Penny:  How much did you study?
Jessica Zung:  I tried to study for an hour a day.
VP:  How far did you get in Spelling Bee Of Canada?
JZ:  5th in Ontario.
VP:  How long did you study?
JZ:  Since January.
VP: What are your hobbies?
JZ:  Badminton, flute and reading fiction.
VP:  Do your friends treat you any different because you are a speller?
JZ:  No,just an occasional congrats.
VP:  Where are you from?
JZ:  Toronto.
VP:  What did you study from?
JZ:  Word lists, like the consolidated word list.
VP:  What were your expectations for the bee?
JZ:  I didn't expect to get far.  I thought I would make it to the finals.
VP: What made you start spelling?
JZ:  My dad's bad spelling.
VP:  Who helps you with your spelling?
JZ:  My mother and my brother
VP:  How old are you?   
JZ:  13

Here are some Steeltown Kids trophies.  Most are Spelling Bee, Some are Chess, Earth Day, and one is my mom's for horseshoes.

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Spelling Bee of Canada : April  2008
WILLIAM PENNY WINS THE HAMILTON BEE FOR THE THIRD TIME!!  
CONGRATULATIONS!!  GOOD LUCK IN THE 2008 SBOC PROVINCIALS.

CONGRATS TO STEELTOWN KID PARIS PENNY FOR HER 2ND PLACE TROPHY!

The Hamilton Spectator hosted a Spelling Bee at the 2006 and 2007, It's Your Festival, and Steeltown kids took top spots.  Congrats to Champion Veronica Penny for placing 1st for grade 2 level in 2006, and 1st place for Grade 3 level in 2007.

2007 Regional Competition for Spelling Bee of Canada   2007 Regional Competition Finals were held Saturday April 28, 2007 at Sir Allan MacNab High School Congratulations to Steeltown Kids Winners who represented Hamilton at the Provincial level in June, 2007.

Primary Level

1st Place Veronica Penny

Intermediate Level 1st Place Will Penny 3rd Place Jenny Penny

SPELLING BEE OF CANADA

2007 Provincial Competition Report

By Veronica Age 9:   2007 Provincial Competition Finals were held Friday June 16, 2007 in Toronto

At 6:30 A.M.* we woke up, and everyone except me dressed. Then we had breakfast*.  After breakfast, I got dressed in my sister's old flower girl dress, my homemade bee barrette, my white tights, black Pamela shoes, 2 charm bracelets,a bracelet with a big rose, and my cross. We grabbed our hats (mine was a worn-out bunny hat) and got in the van.  Mom realized it was cold in the van, so she got Paris* and I our coats. Then we drove to Sylvia's house to pick her up.

Mom warned her that the seat belt might get stuck, and then we went off to Toronto. We drove for about 1 hour. Then we arrived at Thornhill. We stood around for a while, and then I got my number and a Timbit.  Everyone, except me got seats, and I lined up with all the other Primary contestants. Then all of us (there were 40 in all) came in and sat down in order.   I was #20 and was next to #21, Harper Spring* and #19, Daniella Kistemaker.  The Bee started, and my first word was judge. In round 2, my word was disaster.

Here are some of my other words.
R1: JUDGE
R2: DISASTER
R3: ENOUGH
R4: MOUNTAIN
After Round 4 is tie breaker
R5: TURMOIL
R6: ASTERISK
R7: MAGNITUDE
R8: CHOIR
R9: EXPUNGED
R10: MAWKISH
R11: ORCHESTRA

After Round 11, I got delicatessen wrong, so I was third at the most. But only 2 people got their words right, so me and the other 7 got to stay. Slowly but surely, 6 of the 8 people competing for third were sent back to the audience. There was me, and a boy named Liam Morris going for 3rd.  Finally, he misspelled khaki, so if I got it right, I would get third place.

Luckily, Mom had taught me it, so I got up and spelled it correctly.  After that, I sat down and watched Laura Newcombe and another boy spell off. Eventually, Laura got second.  A lot of pictures were taken, and I received a trophy, a medallion,a scroll,a book, a certificate, and I sat down at my seat, and after that, had a brought lunch of home made egg salad sandwiches and juice.

Then, when we were still in the main room, Mom gave us a creme-filled cookie and some gum. We went back and sat down.  Then Junior started. No one in my family is in Junior, so I mostly read. Eventually, Katie Martin won. The winners got their prizes, and we sat for quite a while. Then all the Intermediates sat down, A after that, Julie Spence made a speech and Stephen Xu read the rules.

Then the bee, Intermediate edition, started, My brother got tied for 5th place. When my brother left the stage, Mom went to the left and told us to go to the right side, we did, and stood for a while, until Mom waved me over, Julie Spence then gave me an envelope for Primary, 3rd place, that had a cheque for $1000.00 (Mine!!!!! Bwa ha ha!!!) We grabbed a bag with a bagel and juice in it. Then we jumped in the van and dropped Sylvia off at her house. Actually, that was the plan, but Sylvia was stuck. The seat belt would not open. Needless to say, she got out.  Then we drove home.

-By Veronica Penny, with help from Mom, for letting me use her Mac, and Jennifer Penny, for writing all the words I spelled at The Bee.

(P.S.Jen is my sister)
(P.P.S. I love you Jen.)

*1 Fast Fact=A.M. stands for Latin ante meridum,''before noon''
*2 Oatie-O's & Honey Nut Cheerios
*3 My sister
*4 If her name isn't Harper, I'm really sorry.

2006 Regional Competition Finals were held Saturday April 29, 2006 at Sir Allan MacNab High School. Congratulations to 2006 Steeltown Kids Winners who took home top prizes.
Junior Level	Senior Level
3rd Place Veronica Penny	2nd place Amanda Penny

2005 Regional Competition Finals were held Saturday April 09, 2005 at Sir Allan MacNab High School. Congratulations to 2005 Senior Category Winners who took home top prizes.  Steeltown Kid Champions represented Hamilton at the Provincial level.
1st Place Will Penny	3rd place Amanda Penny

SPELLING BEE OF CANADA
&
AFRO CANADIAN CARIBBEAN
ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON
Presents
HAMILTON SPELLING BEE

Participants can register in the following age groups:
Primary: 6-8 Junior: 9-11 Intermediate: 12-14

Spelling Bee of Canada VISION
The Spelling Bee of Canada is an educational organization that encourages children, parents, and the community to participate in the education process. Through this program, we hope to enrich the learning the experience of children, through growth, In vocabulary, public speaking and self confidence.

Spelling Bee of Canada  HISTORY
The Spelling of Canada was established in 1988, in response to a need within the community for a stimulating educational program outside program outside of the regular school curriculum, which would focus specifically on English language basics.

The SBOC has grown from thirty participants in its first year, to more than 15,000 participants in 2001. SBOC is a non - profit organization which depends on local businesses, organizations and volunteers to contribute time, goods, services and funds.