The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society will once again host the town-wide spelling bee.

Submitted

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society will sponsor the West Hartford Town-Wide Spelling Bee on Jan. 16, 2018, at the West Hartford Town Hall.

All schools in West Hartford may send their spellers in grades 6 through 8 to the Town-Wide Spelling Bee. The winner of the West Hartford Town-Wide Spelling Bee will advance to The Connecticut Spelling Bee, co-presented by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society and The Hartford Courant.

The Connecticut Spelling Bee features spellers from around the state of Connecticut who compete to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Spellers between grades 4 and 8 will participate in The Connecticut Spelling Bee.

This is the second year the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society will co-sponsor The Connecticut Spelling Bee with the Hartford Courant. Noah Webster, the original American lexicographer responsible for publishing the 1828 “American Dictionary of the English Language” was born in West Hartford. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, descendant of Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, is the final authority and source for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is over 90 years old. Editor of Merriam-Webster, Peter Sokolowski, dubbed spelling bees “the purest use of the dictionary.” The dictionary is a living document with new words being added annually to reflect our ever-changing language. Spellers engaging in the Spelling Bee tradition are intimately familiar with language trends, etymology, and how in the world to use pronunciation guides.

The public is invited to join in the fun. Space in the Bruyette Athenaeum’s Hoffman Auditorium on the University of Saint Joseph campus is limited, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. This event is free to the public.

Schools must enroll through Scripps National Spelling Bee by Jan. 15, 2018, in order to participate in the West Hartford Town-Wide Spelling Bee and advance to The Connecticut Spelling Bee. Each school is allowed to send one speller to The Connecticut Spelling Bee on March 10, 2018 in addition to the winning speller of West Hartford’s Town-Wide Spelling Bee. The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, in partnership with The Hartford Courant will send the winner to the Scripps National Spelling Bee for Bee Week in National Harbor, MD. Bee Week will take place May 27, 2018 through June 1, 2018.

Enrolled schools will receive information and study materials through the Scripps National Spelling Bee website, www.spellingbee.com. For any questions not answered on the website, or to be sure your school is enrolled, please contact Sophie Huget, Public Programs Manager at the NoahWebster House & West Hartford Historical Society; she can be reached by phone at (860) 521-5362 x 21 or email at [email protected].

The museum would like to thank the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Greater Hartford Arts Council for their continued support.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a cultural destination where citizens can learn to understand and appreciate the past. The museum preserves the birthplace of Noah Webster, the founding father, educator, author, and lexicographer who taught generations of Americans what it means to be American. This National Historic Landmark is also a repository for West Hartford history, the community that molded Noah Webster’s future and is still thriving over 250 years later. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily 1 until 4 p.m. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362.