Each spring, the Brookline Education Foundation Adult Spelling Bee brings our diverse community together for a wonderful fundraising event. Businesses, PTOs, neighborhood and community groups, town and public safety organizations, all sponsor teams of three spellers. Distinguished judges and pronouncers, prizes contributed by local businesses, and a diabolical selection of words, all contribute to the festivity. Competition is intense to win the coveted bee trophy as well as the prize for best costume.

This year, the Adult Spelling Bee took place on Sunday, March 9, 2008, from 2pm to 6 pm in the Brookline High School Auditorium. Required arrival times for Adult Bee teams were assigned by Adult Bee Swarms, which were posted here on Monday, March 3, 2008.

The registration deadline for the Adult Bee was Friday, February 29, 2008. The entry fee is $300 per team. Many teams are sponsored by local businesses and community organizations so, if you would like to spell in a future Bee, please contact us. To register a team, simply complete an entry form. To sponsor a team, or for further information, contact BrooklineEducation@brookline.k12.ma.us.

A Children's Spelling Bee for fifth graders took place on Sunday, March 9, 2008, from 12 noon to 2PM in the Brookline High School Auditorium, just before the Adult Bee. Details about the Bee were mailed to the homes of 5th grade students at the end of January.

If you were unable to join us on March 9th, you can view the Bees in the comfort of your own home. BATV's Comcast Channel 23 / RCN Channel 15 will transmit the Bees on the following schedule:

The "KooKoo Birds & the Bees" 2008 Best Costume Winners

The winning team: Selina Chow, Leah Greenwald, and Marie Hoguet.

Photos by Jean Stringham

The winning team in this year's Adult Bee was Breakfast at Ten. Team members were Selina Chow, Leah Greenwald, and Marie Hoguet. The winning word was "psilocybin," which is an hallucinogenic obtained from fungi.

How does the Adult Spelling Bee work?

Teams of three adults compete against each other in rounds of up to eight teams. There are eight rounds in the Bee. The winner of each round will then compete in the Championship Round. For details, see the Brookline Education Foundation Spelling Bee Rules, Team Procedures, and Instructions for Pronouncers and Judges.

Prizes are awarded to the members of the overall winning team, the runner-up team, and the team wearing the most creative costumes.

How do I sign up for the Adult Spelling Bee?

Teams can be sponsored by individuals, groups, and businesses. Sponsors can pull together their own team members or sponsor another group of individuals, such as police, fire officials, reading groups, neighborhood or school groups, or clergy. All teams and sponsors are listed in the program. The entry fee for each team is $300, which is tax deductible.

To sign up, print and send an entry form along with a check to the Brookline Education Foundation, P.O. Box 470652, Brookline, MA 02447.

2008 Children's Bee Winner

Photo by Jean Stringham

The first prize in this year's Fifth Grade Spelling Bee went to Pierce School student Juliana Kaplan, who correctly spelled the word "conqueror" to win. The second prize winner, Korey Caron, is also from Pierce School.

The Brookline Education Foundation invites your fifth-grade child to participate in its annual Children’s Spelling Bee. Details about the Bee are mailed to the homes of 5th grade students in the Brookline Public Schools at the end of January. If your child likes to spell, please encourage him or her to participate.

How does the Children's Spelling Bee work?

The Children’s Spelling Bee is an “old-fashioned” spelling bee with the spellers taking turns, each spelling a different word. Once a speller misspells one word, he or she is out of the bee. Prizes are awarded to the winners and each speller receives a certificate for participating. For details on how the bee works, see Children's Bee Rules and Procedures.