Spellbinding success

First-form student Tahirah Lyn outspelled the competition to emerge as the top girl and overall winner of Godfrey Stewart High School’s spelling bee, capping weeks of disciplined preparation with a confident final performance.

“I feel great. I realise that when you work for something hard, it really pays off,” she said after securing first place.

Lyn, of Class 1 Resilience, said her success was rooted in consistent daily preparation.

“I studied on a daily basis and my mother helped me study every day,” she shared.

Her mother, Shanike Perry, was recognised for that support, walking away with the top-parent award, which included a gift basket and certificate.

The victory was especially meaningful for Lyn, who revealed that she had previously competed in a spelling bee while attending Sir Clifford Campbell Primary School, but did not win.

“I was nervous, but I lost that one and God gave me a second chance,” she said.

Reflecting on what made the difference this time, Lyn added, “I focused more, I studied more.”

She also had advice for other students: “They just should have hope and faith and put hard work in what you want.”

Second-place finisher Javeem Brown, who was also named top boy speller, described the experience as both exciting and challenging.

“It was fun and nerve-wracking,” said the Class 1 Determination student.

While he enjoyed the competition, he admitted that preparation was demanding.

“We had to study the words because we didn’t know which category they were going to come in,” he explained.

Despite it being his first spelling bee, Brown performed strongly to secure second place overall.

“I feel good,” he said.

He also offered practical advice: “If you’re going into a spelling bee, study your words and don’t spend all your time playing games and watching TikTok.”

Third-place winner Kadrae Cunningham of Class 1 Generosity said nerves played a role but did not prevent him from placing among the top three.

“It was not really challenging but I can say I was nervous. I didn’t expect that I was going to come third,” he admitted.

Cunningham said self-doubt initially affected his confidence.

“When I was studying I was saying, that boy is so brilliant, but I broke through and I came third,” he shared.

Looking ahead, he is already setting higher goals.

“I will tell myself that I’m going to come first,” he said.

He also acknowledged the challenges of preparation.

“It was kind of challenging… pronunciation and so on,” he noted.

Encouraging future participants, Cunningham said, “Keep focused. Hard work pays off. Don’t waste time. Anything you work for, you will get it,” adding a lesson often shared by his grandmother: “You can’t plant peas and expect to reap corn.”

The final round delivered a tense finish, testing both nerves and knowledge. Cunningham stumbled on “culinary ware,” while Brown’s run ended with “auspicious.” Lyn ultimately sealed her victory by correctly spelling “audacious”.

The competition, organised by the school’s Literacy Department, unfolded in multiple stages.

Head of department Jamar Grant explained that students first competed in class spell-offs across the seven grade-seven classes.

“From the class spell-offs, we identified the top five students in each class,” he said.

Those 35 students advanced to the semi-finals, with 15 moving on to the final round.

Grant noted the level of preparation required.

“The students would have had to prepare over probably anywhere close to 600 to 650 words, 200 per round. And in addition to that, there are always unseen lists for each round that the students have to spell from as well,” he explained.

He said he was impressed with the performance of the finalists, particularly the top three.

“I am absolutely proud of them. Proud beyond the measures of what I would have expected,” he said.

According to Grant, the competition was about more than winning.

“It was a great opportunity for them … to understand what their true potentials are and what can come from them putting in hard work,” he added.

The top three students will go on to represent the school in the National Reading Competition hosted by the National Library of Jamaica.

Grade-seven coordinator Janine Williams described the event as a major success and an important developmental initiative.

“The event was one that I found very invigorating. I believed that it opened many doors for our students,” she said.

She noted that approximately 200 grade-seven students participated in the initial rounds, helping to build confidence even among those who were hesitant.

“A lot of them found it very nerve-wracking and some were not confident in themselves to participate. Nonetheless, they did,” she said.

Williams acknowledged that lack of preparation affected some students’ progress.

“Some of our students didn’t spend adequate time practising these words, and as a result, they were not able to matriculate to the finalists section,” she explained.

Still, she said the overall impact was positive.

“It was able to build their confidence as students… it really sparked interest in our students and also our teachers,” Williams said.

The event also received strong support from across the school community.

“Our students were fully supported … We had a lot of teachers, the form teachers, subject teachers, the vice principals, and the acting principal,” she added.

Acting Principal Stacey-Ann Ottey Clarke emphasised the importance of the initiative in strengthening literacy.

“This competition is an important competition for Godfrey Stewart High School, because we have students who are struggling with literacy,” she said.

She expressed optimism about its impact.

“We have been struggling but I know with this onboard now, then it should be better,” she said.

“It will encourage them to read more and be more positive in the literacy classes that they attend each day. I know this will help them in their academics and in their development.”

Students were rewarded for their efforts with a range of prizes. The first-place winner received a trophy, gift basket, winning sash, a dinner for two at Travellers Resort, a cash prize sponsored by the Godfrey Stewart Performing Arts Society, and a knapsack with stationery from the Negril Education Environment Trust (NEET).

The second-place finisher received a trophy, gift basket, a NEET-sponsored knapsack with stationery, and a cash prize sponsored by Adtelligent Limited, while the third-place student took home a trophy, gift basket, a stationery-filled knapsack from NEET, and a cash prize sponsored by teacher Yemeah Myrie.

Special awards were also presented to the top male and female spellers, who each received a trophy and a bag of stationery.

All participants received a commemorative pin and a certificate of participation.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com