Merced County spelling bees are next week

Merced County’s top spellers will face off next week at the 2016-17 Merced County Spelling Bees.

About 100 students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades from 48 elementary schools will compete at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Atwater Community Center. The next day, Nov. 30, 37 seventh- and eighth-grade students from 19 junior high schools will compete at 9 a.m. at the Clark/Newbold conference rooms at Merced County Office of Education.

Michelle Symes, the county education director of district services, will be the word master for the elementary competition. Kathy Niino, a program specialist for MCOE, will be the word master for the junior high championships.

The elementary study word list is provided by the San Joaquin County Office of Education, which holds the Elementary State Spelling Bee Championship. The Marin County Office of Education provides the junior high list and holds the state championship in San Rafael.

For more information about the competitions, contact Stacie Arancibia at 209-381-5910.

This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Merced County spelling bees are next week."