IPEI’s 17th Annual Adult Spelling Bee is Sunday, March 1

Spellerbrate Good Times

                     ...and Good Grants!

 

Everyone is invited to the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) Adult Spelling Bee on Sunday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. at Ithaca High School’s Wellness Center Gym. There is no admission charge for the 17th annual event that features 28 spelling teams of three adults each competing for the championship Fuzzy Bee trophy and raising funds for the IPEI’s grants for teachers.

 

During the last school year IPEI awarded over $75,000 in grants, benefiting teachers and students at all grade levels in the Ithaca City School District. Grants are provided for innovative educational projects including many that promote collaboration between Ithaca schools and the community. To learn more, please visit www.ipei.org.

 

The public is encouraged to attend as audience members. Some teams bring their own cheering sections, but there’s always room in the gym for more fans. There will be complimentary refreshments from local businesses and attendees can support grants for teachers by participating in the silent auction. Doors open at 1:30 pm. to allow time for review of the auction items. Teams are continuing to fundraise with online donations made through www.ipei.peaksmaker.com.

 

Chemung Canal Trust Company, the Blue Ribbon Champion Sponsor for the fifth year, is joined by Red Ribbon Finalist Sponsor Wells Fargo Advisors and two Gold Ribbon Sponsors, Cayuga Radio Group and Sciarabba Walker & Co.  Their corporate support covers all event expenses so that team sponsorships directly support grants for teachers. West Hill Graphics and Calf Audio are also key event partners.

 

This popular community event is run like an official spelling bee, with rules, a pronouncer, host, timekeeper, and three judges. Geoff Dunn will pronounce the words with assistance from Zoya Segelbacher while timekeeper Susan Piliero will alert spellers when their time has expired.  Each round will feature an honorary celebrity bee-keeper assisting her. Judges include IPEI founder Ralph Jones, Paulette Manos and Deborah Lynn.  This year’s Bee host will be Jean McPheeters.

 

Teams are known by creative names such as Highway to Spell, Spell Sesquicentennial, I.H.S.    Bee-TA, Beankeepers, BJM Spell Casters, LACS Alternative Spellerz, Slightly Better than Autocorrect, and the Hilarious Spell-Loehrs. Two teams are back after multiple championships: the Spellicans and Fine Arts “Word” Boosters, and last year’s winners, We Spell Krazy Good (WSKG).  Teams may be comprised of community members who want to support local public education and enjoy spelling. Others are closely connected to the Ithaca City School District (ICSD): Ithaca Teachers Association, ICSD Administration, ICSD Board of Education, ICSD Librarians, Belle Sherman Elementary School PTA, Caroline Elementary School PTA, Northeast Elementary PTA, Ithaca High School PTA, Ithaca High School Math Department, Lehman Alternative Community School, Fine Arts Booster Group, and the Ithaca Council of PTAs.

 

Teams represent the event sponsors and team sponsors such as CFCU, Wegmans, Carol Bushberg Real Estate, Audrey Edelman RealtyUSA, Ithaca College, Cornell University, Trane U.S, Inc, True Insurance, Harris Beach PLLC, CSP Management, Hunt Engineers, WSKG, UPS Store, Anchor Capital Management, Robert Maciel Associates, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Avital’s Apiaries, and Wordsmyth. Championship Round prizes and new awards for the teams with the best costumes, most team spirit, and highest fundraising are provided by DonorsChoose.org, Steve Ryan, Susan McCutcheon, and Makepeace Candles.

 

Refreshments are being donated by Aladdin's Natural Eatery, B & W Supply Company, Collegetown Bagels, Cornell Orchards, Ithaca Coffee Company, Mark’s Pizzeria, Ned’s Pizzeria, P&C Fresh, Subway, and Wings Over Ithaca. The silent auction features 40 items. The Wellness Center doors will open at 1:30 pm. to allow time for review of the wide range of offerings items from restaurants, museums, retail shops, salons and spas, educational organizations, and inns. In addition, the event program features advertisements from more generous businesses.

 

Events like the Spelling Bee depend on participation of many.  The Bee Committee is chaired by IPEI board member Jennifer Biloski and supported by IPEI Programs and Events Manager Julie Langenbacher. Nora Shang, Karen Yearwood, Ellen Reuben, Michelle Woods, David McMurry, Usha Raman, Marcie Wyant, Connie Patterson and Mary Grainger are committee members, and all IPEI board members are involved with event preparation and production, too.  Student volunteers from DeWitt Junior Honor Society, and Ithaca High’s Code Red Robotics team will assist at the event including support for this year’s Bee fairies, Meira Braun and Grace Blodgett.

 

WRED, Ithaca High School’s state-of-the-art television production facility and course, offers Digital Media students the opportunity to produce shows in a real-world environment for the web and for cable. Thanks to Steve Cass, Michael Reiff and their students, WRED recorded the Bee for live stream. Go to youtube, search for IHSWRED, once located search the playlist and find IPEI Spelling Bee.

 

In case of severe inclement weather, a decision to delay the event schedule will be made by 9:00 a.m. on March 1. This decision will be posted on the IPEI website, and announced by Facebook and Twitter.

 

IPEI is a community based not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that develops supportive community and private sector relationships with the Ithaca City School District. For more information, see www.ipei.org.  Results will be posted on the website after March 1, and on Facebook and Twitter.

 

IPEI has announced 10 new Red and Gold Grants

IPEI has announced 10 new Red and Gold Grants awarded in Round 3 totaling $4331.

Four grants were made to Ithaca High School staff and students, two for Boynton and DeWitt Middle Schools, and four for elementary school projects at Caroline, Fall Creek and South Hill. Applications for the fourth and final round for the 2014-15 school year are due April 6.

 

Plantastic!     

Louisa Sandvik                                   Boynton                                  

Students in Boynton Middle School's 7th grade art class, will learn to translate their scientific illustration of a food rich in nutrients done in 7th grade science class, into line drawings and make fired tiles that will be placed into the second wall installment of the 1st Street Mosaic Mural Project, located adjacent to the Sciencenter parking lot at the end of First St. in Ithaca, NY.

 

Common Strength   

Furaha Shululu                                    Boynton/DeWitt                      

The Common Strength mentor program uses strength and conditioning exercise training to build both the inner and outer strength to meet the challenges youth face.

 

Introduction to Sculpture Tools & Imaginary Worlds.

Kathleen Downes and Ann Reichlin   Caroline                      

A sculpture-based workshop, Imaginary Worlds will introduce the Pre-K children at Caroline Elementary School to tools and materials used in making sculpture and provide them with the opportunity to create a fantasy world inside of a box.

 

Fall Creek First Grade Core Knowledge Enhancement.  

Susie Gutenberger and Catherine Hart          Fall Creek                   

Purchase of supplemental materials to enhance and enrich core knowledge for all Fall Creek First grade students, this year and for years to come.

 

The Human Body Book       

Patrick O’Neill and Chris Bell             Fall Creek                   

First graders at Fall Creek Elementary School will be writing and illustrating short books to demonstrate what they have learned from the Human Body Engage NY module.

 

"IHS Model UN Participation in UNAR Conference in Rochester NY"           

Bella Culotta and Jeffrey Miller                       Ithaca High                 

IHS Model UN Participation in UNAR Conference in Rochester NY.

 

Equipment for Food Science Course

Andrew Lesser                                                Ithaca High                 

Burners and pans will be essential to give students to chance to test and experience the content in the course.

 

Fun and Games in the IHS Library

Armin Heurich                                     Ithaca High     

Fridays are game days in the IHS Library, in which we promote cooperative game play, and it is my hope to be able to improve our collection and replace games with missing pieces.

 

Improvisation and Process in Sculpture   

Jackie Richardson and Ann Reichlin  Ithaca High     

A sculptor will visit the Ithaca High School sculpture class and will give a talk about her work followed by a sculpture workshop.

 

Building and Construction enhances learning in Kindergarten Classroom

Lita Remsen                                        South Hill       

The materials will be used to supplement first instruction through Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.  Materials will target specific reading and writing skills that students need, based on district and formative assessment information.