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Summary of the Competition Rounds
There are 3 competition rounds. Students will start with the Preliminary round (national level). Students will compete among Thai students to qualify for the semifinal round. The tests for the preliminary round will consist of: Writing test, Listening test, and Brainstorm test. The top 15% from the country will be invited to the semifinal round. The tests for the semifinal round will consist of: Writing test, Listening test, and Oral test (Spelling). The tests for the Final round will consist of: Writing test, Listening test, and Oral test (Spelling). The number of semi-finalists and finalists might increase depending on the number of participants or equal points. The finalists will be chosen according to the scores received in the semi-final round. Final round will be held in Penang, Malaysia. Three-day accommodation with breakfast will be provided for all the candidates free of charge. The candidates need to make their own arrangement to the Final's venue. Force majeure – in case of force majeure, such as severe acts of nature or weather events including floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, or explosions; war, acts of terrorism, and epidemics, the trip will be postponed until the situation gets better. However, the final decision will be made by the ESB team considering the situation.
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Sample for Brainstorm Task
SAMPLE for BEE 1 Write 5 (five) words that start with E and end with E. Each word must contain no less than 5 (five) letters. Writing any names (country, city, famous people, etc.) and numbers (one, two, fifty, thousand, million etc.) is not acceptable. Words can be written either in capital or small letters. Note: Only closed compound nouns (joined to form a single word, e.g., football, blackboard) are acceptable as a single word in this task while open compounds (spelled as two words, e.g., ice cream) and hyphenated compounds (two words joined by a hyphen, e.g., long-term) are not allowed. 1) E ____________________ E 2) E ____________________ E 3) E ____________________ E 4) E ____________________ E 5) E ____________________ E Sample for BEE 2 Write 5 (five) words that start with B and end with Y. Each word must contain no less than 6 (six) letters. Writing any names (country, city, famous people, etc.) and numbers (one, two, fifty, thousand, million etc.) is not acceptable. Words can be written either in capital or small letters. Note: Only closed compound nouns (joined to form a single word, e.g., football, blackboard) are acceptable as a single word in this task while open compounds (spelled as two words, e.g., ice cream) and hyphenated compounds (two words joined by a hyphen, e.g., long-term) are not allowed. 1) B __________________Y 2) B __________________Y 3) B __________________Y 4) B __________________Y 5) B __________________Y
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Competition Tasks & Time Allowed
Candidates in the preliminary round will be given three tasks (written, listening and brainstorm), and in the semi-final and final round three tasks (oral, written and listening ): 1) Task 1 Written – participants read the text and identify and correct 10 misspelled words (time allowed 10 minutes); 1.1) Task 1.2 Written – Bee Levels 1-2 – participants need to identify and correctly spell 10 words based on a picture and scrambled up letters. (time allowed 10 minutes); Bee Levels 3-6 – participants need to identify and correctly spell 10 words based on a definition and scrambled up letters. (time allowed 10 minutes); 2) Task 2 Listening - participants listen to a short recording, read the text and complete 10 gaps with correct spelling of the words (approximate time 10 minutes); 3) Task 3 Brainstorm (sample in next tab) – this task is given only in the preliminary round. This task will be taken together with written and listening task at the same time. Participants need to think carefully and find 5 (five) words that start and end with specific letters, and number of words required will be given in the tasks. In this task, participants are required not to write any names (country, city, famous people, etc.) and numbers (one, two, fifty, thousand, million etc.). Only closed compound nouns (joined to form a single word, e.g., football, blackboard) are acceptable as a single word in this task while open compounds (spelled as two words, e.g., ice cream) and hyphenated compounds (two words joined by a hyphen, e.g., long-term) are not allowed. (time allowed 10 minutes) 4) Task 3 Oral – candidates will not take oral spelling exam in the preliminary round, and in the semifinal and final round each participant will be given five or more words to spell orally. However, there is an exception rule for the oral spelling exam in the final round, please read Rule and guideline for Oral Spelling - Judge’s, Pronouncer’s and Speller’s role for further details. (time allowed: the spellers have total 1 minute and 45 seconds to think and spell each word after the clear pronunciation and all information are given. The judges and pronouncer will not communicate with the speller during the final 30 seconds. The judges will disqualify any speller who does not provide a complete spelling before the expiration of time (0 seconds). If the judges and pronouncer need to discuss a competition-related matter while the speller is contemplating a word, they may pause the time clock, and they will inform the speller when they pause and resume the time clock.)
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Prizes
All participants will receive a certificate of participation in the preliminary and semi-final round. The finalists who achieve the highest points in each category will be awarded as follows: Champion, 1st Runner-up, 2nd Runner-up and 2 merit winners. The rest of the finalists who pass the final round tests will also be awarded an internationally recognised certificate in English by Gatehouse Awards United Kingdom. The number of top winners will increase if they have equal points in the final stage of oral spelling. Additional memorable gifts for the top winners will be included to the parcel upon sending awards.
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Marking Guidance for All Bee Levels
Task 1 – Written (10 words) 3 points for each word correctly spelled–10 questions a total of 30 points Applicable to preliminary round, semi-final round and the Final round ** no partial points for partially correct spelling Task 1.2 – Written (10 words) 3 points for each word correctly spelled–10 questions a total of 30 points Applicable to preliminary round, semi-final round and the Final round ** no partial points for partially correct spelling Task 2 – Listening (10 words) 3 points for each word correctly spelled–10 questions a total of 30 points Applicable to preliminary round, semi-final round and the Final round ** no partial points for partially correct spelling Task 3 - Brainstorm (5 words) - Applicable to preliminary round only 2 points for each word correctly spelled – 5 questions a total of 10 points Task 3 – Oral (5 words) - Applicable to semi-final and the Final round only 2 points for each word correctly spelled ** no partial points for partially correct spelling All tasks: plural forms and capital letters are required where necessary to obtain the points. *** Oral spelling task does not require capital letters, but plural forms are mandatory. The exam level for the semi-final round will be one Bee level higher than the one in the preliminary round, and will remain the same at the final round.
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Privacy
By registering the competition either via online form, whatsapp, direct contact or schools, you will agree to allow us to use your personal data such as full name, phone number and email to send you the communications such as welcome letters, payment reminder, updates, announcements and materials such as future competitions and related classes from Phi Connections.
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Competition Category
Students from Public (government-funded), Private and International Schools are allowed to enroll according to their year of birth. Students from Public/Private schools where they study English as a second/foreign language. Primary 1 & 2 (ประถมศึกษาปีที่ 1-2) will join Bee Level 1 Primary 3 & 4 (ประถมศึกษาปีที่ 3-4) will join Bee Level 2 Primary 5 & 6 (ประถมศึกษาปีที่ 5-6) will join Bee Level 3 Secondary 1 & 2 (มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 1-2) will join Bee Level 4 Secondary 3 & 4 (มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 3-4) will join Bee Level 5 Secondary 5 & 6 (มัธยมศึกษาปีที่ 5-6) will join Bee Level 6 Students from International/Private schools where they study English as a First language. International School: Grade 1 & 2 (Year 2 & 3, UK) will join Bee Level 2 International School: Grade 3 & 4 (Year 4 & 5, UK) will join Bee Level 3 International School: Grade 5 & 6 (Year 6 & 7, UK) will join Bee Level 4 International School: Grade 7 & 8 (Year 8 & 9, UK) will join Bee Level 5 International School: Grade 9 & 10 (Year 10 & 11, UK) will join Bee Level 6 The students of lower grade can compete at higher level if they feel prepared for the level.
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Rule and guideline for Oral Spelling - Judge’s, Pronouncer’s and Speller’s role
• The Judges and Pronouncers will be in complete charge of the contest. Their decision will be final in all questions. Any problem relating to the spelling of a word must be referred to the Judges immediately during the competition at the relevant stage. No complaints or appeals will be considered after the contest has ended. • The judges listen carefully, determine whether or not words are spelled correctly, and uphold the rules. The decisions of the judges are final. • Misunderstandings: The judges will not respond to the speller’s question(s) about the word and its pronunciation but, if the judges sense that the speller has misunderstood the word, the judges will direct the speller and pronouncer to interact until they are satisfied that reasonable attempts have been made to assist the speller in understanding the word within the time constraints outlined in Rule 4, Competition Tasks & Time Allowed. It is sometimes impossible to detect a misunderstanding until a spelling error has been made, and the judges are not responsible for the speller’s misunderstanding. • Pronouncer Errors: The judges compare the pronouncer’s pronunciation with the diacritical markings in the word list. If the judges feel that the pronouncer’s pronunciation does not match the pronunciation specified in the diacritical markings, the judges will direct the pronouncer to correct the error as soon as it is detected. • Spellers are allowed to bring a note pad and pen or pencil to practise the words before the competition (for their use only), but the speller must then spell the word orally during the competition. Extra paper and pencil are not allowed. • In competition, spellers may pronounce words before spelling, after spelling, or not at all. However, you are encouraged to pronounce the word BEFORE spelling to ensure that you heard the word correctly. For example, if you are given the word baseball and you spell baseballs, your spelling will be considered incorrect. Or, if you are given absence and you spell absent, your spelling will be considered incorrect. The speller may ask the pronouncer to say the word again, define it, use it in a sentence, provide the part of speech, provide the language(s) of origin and/or provide an alternate pronunciation or pronunciations. • The pronouncer strives to pronounce words according to the diacritical markings in ESB word lists. • The pronouncer responds to the speller’s requests for a definition, sentence, part of speech, language(s) of origin and alternate pronunciation(s) as listed in the competition word list produced by ESB. The pronouncer does not entertain root word questions, requests for alternate definitions or requests for slower pronunciation. • Homonyms: If a word has one or more homonyms, the pronouncer indicates which word is to be spelled by defining the word. • At any time, the speller may request that a word be re-pronounced, defined or used in a sentence, or they may ask for the part of speech or the language of origin. But the pronouncer shall grant the request(s) until the judges agree that the word has been made reasonably clear to the speller. The pronouncer will not syllabify (divide into syllables) the word. • Once you begin to spell a word, you will not have a chance to change letters once pronounced. A speller may repeat the word orally, provided letters and their sequence are not changed. The speller must indicate words with apostrophes, capitals and other punctuation marks, and any accent marks either over the letter or at the end of the word. • Judges may disqualify any speller who ignores a request to start spelling the word within a reasonable time outline in Rule 4 Competition Tasks & Time Allowed. • Misunderstandings: The speller is responsible for any misunderstanding of the word unless (1) the pronouncer never provided a correct pronunciation; (2) the pronouncer provided incorrect information regarding the definition, part of speech, or language of origin; or (3) the speller correctly spelled a homonym of the word and the pronouncer failed to either offer a definition or distinguish the homonyms. When a speller is given the definition of a homonym, he or she must spell the word which is defined. • When a speller fails to spell a word correctly after all additional assistance as permitted by the rules of the competition has been provided, and / or the maximum time has expired, they must drop out of the competition. The pronouncer will announce the correct spelling of the word and a greeter will present a certificate of participation to the student. Another word shall be given to the next speller in line. The winner(s) will be announced accordingly. • There is an element of chance in this contest. When only two spellers remain with equal points, the elimination procedure changes. At that point, when a speller misspells a word, the other speller will be given the opportunity to spell the other word. If the second speller spells the word correctly, the second speller will be declared the winner of Gold/Silver or Bronze medal. If both spellers misspell the same word, both will continue in the contest with a new word until the judges make final decision. • In the event of a protest or dispute, decisions shall be based on “Macmillan Dictionary of English” the official contest dictionary. No other source shall be allowed. • To minimize disruptions during this competition we ask audience members to turn off cell phones and pagers.
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Competition Category vs CEFR Level
Little HIPPO - Preliminary Round is CEFR Pre A1 Young Learners - Semifinal and Final Round is CEFR A1 Young Learners HIPPO 1 - Preliminary Round is CEFR A1 Young Learners - Semifinal and Final Round is CEFR A2 Young Learners HIPPO 2 - Preliminary Round is CEFR A1 - Semifinal and Final Round is CEFR A2 HIPPO 3 - Preliminary Round is CEFR A2 - Semifinal and Final Round is CEFR B1 HIPPO 4/ HIPPO S10 - Preliminary Round is CEFR B1 - Semifinal and Final Round is CEFR B2 HIPPO 5/ HIPPO S15 - Preliminary Round is CEFR B2 - Semifinal and Final Round is CEFR C1 HIPPO S19 - Preliminary Round is CEFR C1 - Semifinal and Final Round is CEFR C2
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Semifinal Round - Points and Maximum Allowed Times
After the preliminary round tests have been marked, the top 10% of participating students from each participating country will be invited to the semi-final round. The list of semi-finalists will be expanded to include all the students whose number of points is the same as the number of points of the last students in the first 10%. The list of semi-finalists will be published on the Olympiad website within three weeks of the preliminary round date. The network of semi-final venues will be based on the location of the semi-finalists. Wildcards are available for the countries where no student qualifies for the semifinal round and will be granted to the best candidate in each category from the country. The exam level for the semi-final round will be one CEFR level higher than the one in the preliminary round. The tests for the semi-final round of the Olympiad will consist of a reading test, a writing test (30 questions) and an essay (except for Little Hippo). There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks. Little HIPPO Reading - 30 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Writing - 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 1 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 2 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 35 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 3 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 40 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 4 & HIPPO S10 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO 5 & HIPPO S15 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. HIPPO S19 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 50 minutes. Writing - Free-writing task (essay) + 30 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. The writing test will consist of a free-writing task (100 – 200 words depending on the category) and 30 questions. The level of difficulty of all the questions will be one level higher than the one in the preliminary round. The essay will be assessed only in case two or more candidates have the scores on both the reading and the writing test. Answers are given on an answer sheet (OMR) and not in the test booklet for Physical test.
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Qualifier and the World Final Round
Qualifier Round The Olympiad participants will be divided into Olympiad regions (hereinafter regions) for the purpose of organising regional qualifiers, namely Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, India & Southeast Asia, China & Far East, Africa and Central & South America The 2023 Qualifiers will be held in: 1. Venice, Italy, on 22-25 May 2023 for Europe; 2. Istanbul, Turkey, on 20-23 June 2023 for Centra Asia, Middle East and Africa; 3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 6-7 July 2023 for India & Southeast Asia, China & Far East. Where the number of enrolments in a specific region reaches 10,000 students in the 2023 edition, with a minimum of 1,000 candidates per Hippo Category, HIPPO association will organise an additional round of the Olympiad, called Qualifiers. Students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the World Finals will be admitted to the Qualifiers. The number of students admitted to the Qualifiers per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country. No more than three students per category per country will be admitted to the Qualifiers. The Qualifiers will be held IN PERSON. There will be NO online option. If a student does not confirm their participation within 7 days of the invitation to the Qualifiers, the next student in the ranking list from the same country will be invited. Students invited to the Qualifiers will be requested to pay a participation fee of €50-€100, depending on the location. Students and accompanying teachers or parents will need to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements and cover the costs themselves. The participation fee will cover the costs of insurance, merchandising (given to the participants upon arrival), participation in the organised activities and examination preparation material that Global Hippo Association will send to the students upon confirmation of participation. Students and one accompanying teacher or parent are expected to arrive at the venue one day before the examination date. The examinations will take place on the morning after while the proclamation of winners will take place in the evening. The winner of each category will proceed to the World Finals. The World Final Round The final round of the Olympiad will be held in Rome, Italy, in October 2023. All candidates can be accompanied by their English language teacher, or an English-speaking teacher from their school. Parents who wish to accompany their children need to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements as the hotels where the students are accommodated are booked exclusively for the Olympiad participants. Three-day half-board accommodation will be provided for all the candidates and their teachers free of charge. Finalists are expected to arrive the day before the examinations start; examinations will be held over two days while the proclamation of winners and awarding ceremony will be held on the evening of the second day of examinations.
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Past Year Question Papers
Past year questions will be given FREE to registered HIPPO participants. After checking your submission and the payment, the organiser will send email you the link to download the past year question papers and practicing link.
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Preliminary Round - Points and Maximum Allowed Times
The tests for the preliminary round of the Olympiad will consist of two parts: a test of reading comprehension (multiple choice questions), and a Use of English test. The maximum allowed time per part is shown below. There is only one correct answer to every question. There are no negative marks. Little HIPPO Reading - 30 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 1 Reading - 30 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 2 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 3 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 35 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 20 minutes. HIPPO 4 & HIPPO S10 Reading - 34 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 40 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. HIPPO 5 & HIPPO S15 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. HIPPO S19 Reading - 40 questions, 1 point each. Maximum 45 minutes. Use of English - 20 questions, 1.5 point each. Maximum 30 minutes. Answers are given on an answer sheet (OMR) and not in the test booklet for Physical test.
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Summary of the Competition Rounds
There are 4 competition rounds. Students will start with the PRELIMINARY round. Students will compete among Thailand students to qualify for the Semi-final round. The tests for the preliminary round will consist of two parts: a test of reading comprehension, and a Use of English test. All the questions are in multiple choice questions. The top 10% from the country will be invited to the SEMI-FINAL round. The list of semi-finalists will be expanded to include all the students whose number of points is the same as the number of points of the last students in the first 10%. The exam level for the semi-final round will be one CEFR level higher than the one in the preliminary round. The tests for the semi-final round of the Olympiad will consist of a reading test, a writing test (30 questions) and an essay (except for Little Hippo). QUALIFIER round - Where the number of enrolments in the Southeast Asia & India region reaches 10,000 students in the HIPPO 2023, with a minimum of 1,000 candidates per Hippo Category, HIPPO association will organise an additional round of the Olympiad, called Qualifiers round. Students with the best ranking among those not qualified for the World Finals will be admitted to the Qualifiers. The number of students admitted to the Qualifiers per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country. No more than three students per category per country will be admitted to the Qualifiers. In the Qualifiers, the candidates will take a Hippo Test of English consisting of 30 Use of English open-ended questions and a crossword. The Qualifiers will be held IN PERSON in MALAYSIA for HIPPO 2023. There will be NO online option. The winner of each category will proceed to the World Finals. In the FINAL round of the Olympiad, the candidates take a Gatehouse Awards exam, all 4 skills included. GA Writing test will only be marked for the purpose of certification, not for the purpose of the final round ranking list. In addition to the four-skill GA examinations, candidates take a Use of English test consisting of 30 questions. The results of this test will be used for final round ranking purposes and will not affect the GA examination qualification score. The exam level for the final round will be one CEFR level higher than the one in the preliminary round that is the same as the semi-final round test.
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Privacy
By registering the HIPPO competition either via online form, whatsapp, direct contact or schools, you will agree to allow us to use your personal data such as full name, personal phone number and email address in order for us to send you the communications such as welcoming messages, reminder, updates, announcements, future competitions and related English classes. If you do not wish to receive such messages from us directly, please revert back to us immediately in order to unsubscribe.
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Marking and Ranking
For the physical test, the reading test answers are marked by an OMR device and for that reason need to be properly filled in. Candidates are required to use a pen while completing the OMR form. An OMR sample form will be available on the website two weeks before the preliminary round of the Olympiad at the latest. In case an OMR form is not properly filled in (e.g. incorrect or missing candidate number) or scanned and the OMR device cannot read it, Global Hippo Association keeps the right to disqualify the candidate if the identity of the candidate cannot be established. In the semi-final round, the essay will be marked only if two or more candidates have the same number of points on both the reading and the writing test or in case of suspected cheating or malpractice. For online examinations, in case of suspected malpractice, Hippo Association keeps the right to retest the candidates using a parallel test and under the invigilation of the Hippo staff. The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the semi-final round will be available on http://www.hippo-olympiad.org within three weeks of the preliminary round date. The ranking list for all categories as well as the names of the candidates who qualified for the final round and eventually regional qualifiers will be available on http://www.hippo-olympiad.org withing three weeks of the semi-final round date. The final round places will be assigned in the following way: Top 140 finalists will be admitted directly from the semi-final ranking list. The number of finalists per category and country will be proportional to the number of preliminary round participants in each category per country. In order to promote a multicultural environment, wildcards will be granted to the best participant from each of the countries that does not have a finalist. In addition to the above, winners of regional qualifiers will be admitted to Finals. GLOBAL HIPPO ASSOCIATION keep the right to increase the number of finalists if the number of applicants exceeds 67,500, all in accordance with the Olympiad regulations. The exact date of the final round as well as the participation confirmation deadline will be announced in due time.
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Certificates and Prizes
All candidates in the preliminary round, semi-final round, regional qualifier and the world final round will receive a certificate of participation after the competition. In the Qualifier round, - The winners of each category will proceed to the World Finals. - The second winners in each category will get a one-week stay at the Hippo Summer Camp, fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, activities and airport transfers. - The third winners in each category will receive a 50% discount coupon for the Hippo Summer Camp. In the Final Round, - All candidates who pass the final round tests (score 55% minimum) will be awarded a Gatehouse Awards internationally recognised certificate in English. - Hippo 3, 4 and 5 Winners will receive Bucksmore Golden Ticket Prize, a two-week stay at one of Bucksmore Education colleges and will be fully inclusive of tuition, accommodation, excursions, meals and airport transfers. - Little, Hippo 1, 2, S10, S15 and S19 Winners will receive a one-week stay at the Hippo Summer Camp, fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, activities and airport transfers. - Second place winners of Hippo 4, 5 and S19 will receive a full Mizzou K-12 Online Diploma program. - Second place winners of Little Hippo, 1, 2, 3, S10 and S15 will receive a 50% discount coupon for the Hippo Summer Camp. - Third place winners in each category will receive a Crosswords preparation book. Please note that the cost of traveling to/from the Hippo Summer Camp and Bucksmore Education college (such as air fare) will not be included. The cost will be the responsibility of the winning recipient.
