Bee season is about to come to a head in North Idaho.

The eleventh annual North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee will take place Saturday at North Idaho College, attracting 56 fourth- through eighth-graders to compete. The winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the end of May, paid for by The Coeur d'Alene Press.

To qualify, each contestant won a qualifying bee at his or her grade level. Spelling bees were held earlier this year in public school districts. Home school and private school spellers from throughout North Idaho competed in their own bee.

"Congratulations to those who qualified for the regional bee this year. It's an amazing accomplishment," said spelling bee coordinator Mindy Patterson.

The spellers will compete against each other, regardless of grade level, beginning at 9 a.m. in Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center on NIC's main campus. Registration for participants will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The event is sponsored by The Coeur d'Alene Press and hosted by NIC.

Information: (208) 769-3316.

Fourth-grade participants:

Skyeler Zimmerman, Mt. Hall Elementary, Boundary County School District No. 101

Georgia May, Sorensen Magnet School, Coeur d'Alene School District No. 271

Christian Hunt of Rathdrum, Home School District

Olivia Derbyshire, Pinehurst Elementary, Kellogg School District No. 391

Tristan Gentry, Harrison Elementary, Kootenai School District No. 274

Alexander Reeves, Northside Elementary, Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84

Samantha Schroeder, Spirit Lake Elementary, Lakeland School District No. 272

Kadin Coleman, Lakeside Elementary, Plummer-Worley School District No. 44

Grace Clark, Christian Center School, Private School District

Corbin Scheer, Heyburn Elementary, St. Maries School District No. 41

Mason Chaffee, Silver Hills Elementary, Wallace School District No. 393

Jazmine Brown, Priest River Elementary, West Bonner County School District No. 83

Fifth-grade participants:

Lauren Onstott, Mt. Hall Elementary, Boundary County School District No. 101

Helenna O'Brien, Sorensen Magnet School, Coeur d'Alene School District No. 271

Josiah Pinkerton of Coeur d'Alene, Home School District

Riley Rollins, Sunnyside Elementary, Kellogg School District No. 391

Amanda Cabral, Harrison Elementary, Kootenai School District No. 274

Jaycee Forell, Sagle Elementary, Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84

Kaylie Needham, Betty Kiefer Elementary, Lakeland School District No. 272

Kate Malinauskas, Lakeside Elementary, Plummer-Worley School District No. 44

Esperanza Williams, Christian Center School, Private School District

Jayden Martin, Heyburn Elementary, St. Maries School District No. 41

Hayden Hogamier, Silver Hills Elementary, Wallace School District No. 393

Samantha Krampert, Priest River Elementary, West Bonner County School District No. 83

Sixth-grade participants:

Katelyn Hutchinson, Boundary Co. Middle School, Boundary County School District No. 101

Kendall Foster, Canfield Middle School, Coeur d'Alene School District No. 271

Erika Gallus of Rathdrum, Home School District

Corrina Hill, Kellogg Middle School, Kellogg School District No. 391

Mitchell Vawter, Kootenai Jr./Sr. High School, Kootenai School District No. 274

Johnny Spurlock, Farmin-Stidwell Elementary, Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84

Patrick Beasley, Athol Elementary, Lakeland School District No. 272

Savannah Triplett, Lakeside Elementary, Plummer-Worley School District No. 44

James Kelly, North Idaho Christian School, Private School District

Lucia Yegge, St. Maries Middle School, St. Maries School District No. 41

Gary Gunderson, Silver Hills Elementary, Wallace School District No. 393

Kara Slater, Idaho Hills Elementary, West Bonner County School District No. 83

Seventh-grade participants:

Connor Claphan, Boundary Co. Middle School, Boundary County School District No. 101

Kiana Lacroix, Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy, Coeur d'Alene School District No. 271

Esther Pinkerton of Coeur d'Alene, Home School District

Shea Curran, Kellogg School District No. 391

Kassandra Scheinost, Kootenai Jr./Sr. High School, Kootenai School District No. 274

Natalia Madison, Forrest Bird Charter Schools, Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84

Willie Gomes, Timberlake Junior High, Lakeland School District No. 272

Preston Pfau, North Idaho Christian School, Private School District

Jenna Boutillier, St. Maries Middle School, St. Maries School District No. 41

Lindsey Foster, Wallace Jr./Sr. High School, Wallace School District No. 393

Eighth-grade participants:

Ada Bonnell, Boundary Co. Middle School, Boundary County School District No. 101

Evan Schwaab, Lakes Magnet Middle School, Coeur d'Alene School District No. 271

Faith Doty of Rathdrum, Home School District

Noah Rollins, Kellogg Middle School, Kellogg School District No. 391

Madison Napierala, Kootenai Jr./Sr. High School, Kootenai School District No. 274

Alex Jones, Sandpoint Middle School, Lake Pend Oreille School District No. 84

Jacob St. Mars, Timberlake Junior High, Lakeland School District No. 272

Jamie Bettis, Christian Center School, Private School District

Alex Beauchman, St. Maries Middle School, St. Maries School District No. 41

Charles Tatman, III, Wallace Jr./Sr. High School, Wallace School District No. 393.