1. THE DAILY NEWS
CRASH COURSE IN CREATIVITY’S FAVOURITE NEWSPAPER Reporter: Lisa Hunter
BEE-active wins national spelling bee
Just about any parent would have heard of Each pair are given a word to spell with each
the latest sensation to hit the playground – girl providing a letter until the word is
BEE-Active. This reporter went back to complete, while jumping rope and throwing
school to find out how it all started. A few the netball back and forwards to each other. If
months ago, Matilda Wakefield, English you drop the ball your team gets a point, if
teacher at St Catherine Girl’s School read a you get a letter wrong you get a point. If you
study that showed 70% of girls were not get all your letters right your team loses a
active on a regular basis. This played on her point and if you do a fancy move without
mind as her advanced class sat at their desks dropping the ball, missing the rope or getting
preparing for the national spelling bee, the letter wrong you lose two points. Once
indoors on a sunny day. you spell a complete word, another girl takes
your place. The team with the least points
Her solution? She created a new game
wins.
combining common household items she
knew most young girls love - jump rope and And the results? Well the team won the
netballs. And she called it BEE-active. “It’s a spelling bee – quite a feat given that for the
simple game really” explains Matilda. last 5 years they’ve come last. And the girls
aced their Gym class – straight A’s. But wait
The girls are divided into 2 teams. On each
“BEE-active is cool and fun, all the other kids team 2 team members turn the jump rope,
there’s more …. since the girls’ debut on
at school want to play now! We’re the most morning television, BEE-active has been
which are set up parallel to each other. A girl
endorsed by the National School Association
popular girls at school” Ellie Harvey (spelling on each team then takes her place in the
as a national school sport.
middle of the jump rope facing their
bee team member)
opponent. Spelling, Sport AND Fun – a winning
combination in this reporter’s book.
