Jonmore Hyman, No. 1 again

Tennesia Malcolm, Staff Reporter

The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee 2010-11 competition returns today with parish finals in St Thomas and Portland. All other finals for this week will proceed as scheduled.

The remaining finals - Clarendon, Kingston, St Catherine and St Andrew - which were postponed due to rains associated with Tropical Storm Nicole, have been rescheduled for next week, beginning on Wednesday.

For many students in these parishes, a damper was placed on their hopes of becoming spelling champion after the tropical depression that became Nicole emptied buckets of water on to the island, forcing many into the comfort of their homes.

But not before Jonmore Hyman spelt his way to victory for the second straight year in Manchester.

He broke his left arm playing football, something that he loves to do, along with playing cricket and a little reading in between. Yes, one could say he is a sportsman though his dreams of wearing his school colours were dashed when he picked up his injury.

But there is something else which sets Jonmore Hyman apart. His ability to spell and spell so well. The pain of a broken arm obviously proved no match for his brain.

His winning formula, he said, remains the same as last year.

"Each evening I go to Mrs Maddan," he told The Gleaner, referring to his coach Cherila Maddan who, though retired, still finds time to coach the 12-year-old. And about two and a half hours every day, from Monday to Thursday and on Saturdays, they are busy doing oral and written spelling.

Future palaeontologist

A lot of work for the aspiring paediatric neurosurgeon, or is it palaeontologist?

Yes. A palaeontologist.

"A palaentologist is more like an archaeologist who searches for specifically dinosaur bones," Jonmore explained.

But, he said, "my number one aim is to become a paediatric neurosurgeon", with a practice here in Jamaica, of course.

There seems to be no stopping the Manchester High second-former who cruised through the spelling of R-E-CO-N-N-O-I-T-R-E to pull away from 10-year-old Trevonae Williams of Mt St Joseph Prep School, who up to that point had matched him toe to toe. The 41 other spellers who had earlier lined up in competition at the Mandeville Parish Church had all steadily been eliminated after impressive performances in what has become somewhat of an expectation in Manchester.

And as Jonmore's coach, parents and supporters expected, he has once again been propelled to the national finals of the Spelling Bee competition where he represented his parish last year and ended with a ninth-place finish.

"I'm really going to try to place in the top five or top three or, in fact, win."

And, why not? If Maddan's words are anything to go by, then he has got the goods.

"I am so proud of him," she said, describing him as very committed to his work and one who seizes the opportunities presented to him.

The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee is presented in association with the Jamaica National Building Society and Capri-Sun as associate sponsors, National Commercial Bank, Kirk Distributors, the Victoria Mutual Building Society, JTA Co-operative Credit Union, SuperClubs, Wisynco, Tastee, Franklyn D. Resorts, Sangsters Book Stores and media partner Television Jamaica.

tennesia.malcolm@gleanerjm.com

Top 5

1 Jonmore Hyman, Manchester High

2 Trevonae Williams, Mt St Joseph Prep

3 Abigail Senior, Mandeville Primary and Junior High

4 Clive Segree, Porus Primary

5 Tagera Ottey, Porus Primary