WILMINGTON — The Annual Delaware State Spelling Bee for grades four through eight will be held Saturday at Saint Mark’s High School’s Anna Graham Theater, 2501 Pike Creek Road, Wilmington.

Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. with the bee commencing at 9:30 a.m.
Forty-eight public, private and homeschool champions will compete, according to Rachael Casey, director of academic partnerships and spelling bee coordinator. This is the 14th year Saint Mark’s has hosted the statewide bee.

The bee draws from 500 words selected annually from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary by the national organizers and conducted under national spelling bee guidelines. The state’s champion speller will compete in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

The judges will be Tim Mastro from the Delaware State News and robin brown. Email rcasey@stmarkshs.net with questions.

Dave Skocik, of Dover, will return as word pronouncer, a role he has filled since 1987. He is an author and a former college administrator and has been a public relations practitioner for more than 35 years.

As sponsor and host of the bee, Saint Mark’s is pleased to announce that scholarships will be awarded to the top three contestants.

The winners will receive scholarships of $25,000 for first place, $20,000 for second place and $15,000 for third place. The funds will be spread out over four years.