It’s not spring yet, but the bees are here and buzzing at Austin Schools.

Students in fifth through eighth grades will compete in the National Scripps Spelling Bee on Thursday. With school closed for the cold weather, Wednesday’s bee was rescheduled for Jan. 14.

Ellis Middle School and I.J. Holton Intermediate School will compete to test their knowledge of how words are spelled, the meanings of words, and the correct usage of words. Students took a qualifying test in December and students who qualified to compete will  study to prepare themselves for the competition. All grade-level competitions will be held at Ellis Middle School Auditorium.

The Scripps Spelling Bee is sponsored by The E. W. Scripps Company in the United States and in 13 other countries and/or locations. The purpose of the bee is to help students improve their spelling, increase vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage.

The bee for Ellis Middle School will be held Thursday in the Ellis Middle School auditorium. Seventh grade will start at 9 a.m., and eighth grade will start at 11 a.m.

The bee for I.J. Holton has been rescheduled for Jan. 14, and will take place in the Ellis Middle School auditorium.

The District Spelling Bee will be held at Ellis Middle School on Jan. 21, 2015, where the top five finalists from each grade will compete. Winners from the District Spelling Bee qualify to compete in the Regional Spelling Bee in Rochester, Minnesota, in February.

Click here for more information on the Scripps National Spelling Bee.