The third annual Higgins Spelling Bee will be held at the Northshore Mall on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. Thirty students, 10 from each of the school’s grade levels, will compete in the mall’s new wing beginning at 7 p.m. In addition to providing the venue, the mall will provide the spellers with prizes and a pizza party in advance of the event.

The Bee will be recorded by PAT Channel 8, which plans to also stream the broadcast live. PVMHS students participating in PAT’s work study program will serve as production crew for the event.

The Spelling Bee program is supported by a Peabody Education Foundation Best Bet grant. In addition to funding t-shirts, team buttons and lending aid to the family potluck practice (Jan. 31, Higgins Library), the PEF also provided for the acquisition of Visual Thesaurus Spelling Bee software. The web-based software features customized word lists and 24-hour online access to the interactive spelling activity.

The Higgins Spelling Program touches all students at the school. Classroom spelling activities result in the identification of a cluster’s top spellers. The top spellers compete in a Bee at the library during the month of December whereby the top two spellers in each cluster are identified.

The winner of the Higgins Spelling Bee is qualified to enter the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in Lynn in March.

Higgins Spelling Team 2012-13:

• Dolphins: Neil Sherman, Brandon Dalton
• Marlins: Gabe Goldman, Annalise Torres
• Penguins: Noah Surman, Sydnie LeBlanc
• Sharks: Izzie Sorpol, Niamh Walsh
• Stingrays: Alex Chau, Andrew Langley
• Bears: Rebecca Dunn, Chinma Okananwa
• Broncos: Jennifer Puzzo, Holly Sherman
• Lions: Mallory Leblanc, Kelsie Blake
• Panthers: Ryan Lemole, Koby Hirschaut
• Tigers: Andee Mae Sims, Kayla Connolly
• Aquarius: Domenic Logiudice, Linda Whelton
• Gemini: Ann Sta. Cruz, Ronald Zabala
• Orion: Ashley Royer, Katarina Bettencourt
• Pegasus: Kyliah Almeida, Yarissa Lopez
• Pisces: Stephen May, Isabella Valencia