The Wellesley Spelling Bee
The Wellesley Spelling Bee is a WEF community fundraising event which raises money to fund enrichment programs for the Wellesley Public Schools. The Bee is a major fundraiser for WEF and great fun for participants and observers alike! The Bee is typically held on an evening in early November. Town celebrities judge and officiate the competition. The Wellesley cable station records the event and broadcasts it several times. A program is printed for the Spelling Bee, as well as ads included in the Wellesley Townsman acknowledging teams, sponsors and donors.
More About the Bee
Approximately 40 teams participate in the Bee and represent local businesses, law firms, alumni groups, community organizations and school PTOs as well as student teams from Wellesley High School and Middle School. We always look forward to seeing where the next new teams may come from. Each team is made up of three members, and seven or eight teams compete in a round. The winner of each round then competes in the championship round.
The champions take home the Ruth Humphries Bee trophy to keep for their reigning year. A plaque listing all the winners also hangs in the Wellesley Free Library.
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The Bee does not involve solo spelling. All teams in a round spell words simultaneously. The emcee announces the word and the three team members can collaborate on the spelling of a word before writing down their answer on the slate provided. Teams have 25 seconds and then must display their answer. Teams that correctly spell the word continue. Each speller is provided a study guide with most of the spelling words approximately one month prior to the Bee. See our official Spelling Bee Rules and the Study Guide.
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If you prefer not to spell but would like to participate, any and all donations are welcome. Each year, approximately 10-15 high school or non-profit community teams are sponsored by generous individuals, families and local businesses
Past Winners
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Year
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Team Name
WPS Secretaries
Mount Holyoke Alumnae
Hunnewell School Dads
Middle School Staff
Mount Holyoke Alumnae
Mount Holyoke Alumnae
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Hammond Associates
Harvard-Radcliffe Alumni
BC Alumni
Harvard-Radcliffe Alumni
Century 21 Westward Homes
Coldwell Banker/Central St.
Wellesley Booksmith
Babson College
WHS Juniors
WHS Senior Spellers
The Wellesley Green Team
The Wellesley Green Team
World of Wellesley
Butyraceous
Butyraceous
Council on Aging Spellbinders
Council on Aging Spellbinders
Bates Minions
Health Advances
Coldwell Banker
Wellesley College
Health Advances, LLC
Upham PTO
Wellesley Scholarship Foundation
Moved from October 2021 to 2022
Sustainable Wellesley
Hardy PTO
Winning Word
?
supernaculum
bantamize
?
requiescence
opeidoscope
strabismic
xerocolous
traumatropism
gibus
pertinacious
hamadryad
repechage
pythiad
quinquevir
eremitic
echard
sessile
immiscibility
imputrescible
ombrophilous
irremeable
sacjaalait
gradus
lapidarian
threnody
unguligrade
legerdemain
adactylous
jarabe
passementerie
N/A
ichnolite
zeusaphone