Bust Out the Dictionary — It’s Spelling Bee Time

Enrollment is now open for the 2014 aio Hawai`i State Spelling Bee, which is open to private, parochial and public schools, which include charter schools.

A record number of 85 schools participated in last year’s Bee, and nearly 40 schools have already begun the enrollment process, event organizers said.

Schools can enroll by visiting www.spellingbee.com. The deadline is Oct. 15.

The cost to register is $120 per school, which includes a virtual “Bee-in-a Box,” described as everything the school needs to conduct their school-level Bee.

School-level Bees need to be held before Nov. 30.

The winner and runner-up from each school will be invited to participate in their respective District Bees. Seven District Bees (Leeward Oahu, Central Oahu, Windward Oahu, Honolulu, Big Island, Maui County and Kauai) will be held in January 2014.

The winner and runner up from each of the District Bees will then participate in the 2014 aio Hawai`i State Spelling Bee to be held on Saturday, March 22, 2014.

The 2014 Hawai`i state champion and his/her chaperone will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington DC in May 2014 to compete in the 87th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The 2014 competition is open to all students from grades 4 through 8.

The 2013 aio Hawaii State Spelling Bee Champion was Akira Takabayashi, an 8th grader from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Kauai.

The aio Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1998 to support and develop programs that promote improved health, education and welfare for Hawai`i’s children.