Kiddie Bee Spelling champions had fun with words

WESTERN BUREAU:

Five-year-old Amirah Watson of Hosanna Preparatory School in St James emerged the 2022 Kiwanis Club of Providence Montego Bay Kiddie Bee Spelling champion.

Kahlil Walker of the Nest Nursery and Preparatory School and Sienna Belle of Farm Height United Basic School finished second and third, respectively. Walker also won the Champion Boy Speller title.

Watson correctly spelt the word C-R-A-Y-O-N to win the competition and the Champion Girl Speller title, brushing aside 17 others spellers who entered the sixth edition of the competition since its inception in 2015.

The competition, which was sponsored by Henderson Book Store, Scotiabank and The Gleaner’s Children’s Own, and was held at the Calvary Baptist Church Hall under the theme ‘Fun with Words’, lived up to its billing and left many in the audience in amazement at the wealth of knowledge and ability of the parish’s five-year-old spellers.

On her way to victory, Watson calmly and confidently outsmarted her competitors, even as Walker was able to spell his words in a much faster time. She battled word after word with Belle, who herself was a confident speller.

However, Belle was the first one to exit the competition after she incorrectly spelt the word H-E-A-D, leaving Watson and Walker to battle it out; and for almost an hour they challenged each other until Walker lost his confidence and incorrectly spelt the word C-A-N-C-E-L, and eventually had to settle for the second-place trophy.

Watson received the Henderson Book Store Trophy for her school, a gift bag from The Gleaner’s Children’s Own, a day pass for four at Hilton Rose Hall Resort, and a cake from Scotiabank.

And as champion girl and boy spellers, Watson and Walker will each receive a tablet. Belle, for her effort in placing third, received a smartwatch and a bag of grocery.

GAINING MOMENTUM

According to the Kiwanis Club of Providence Montego Bay’s distinguished president, Janice McGrowder, the Kiddie Bee Spelling Competition has been a staple over the six years of its existence, and has gained momentum.

“We continue to believe that each child that participates in this project is a winner. COVID-19 prevented us in 2020 and 2021 from having the competition, but we are here again this year, basking in the testimony of teachers and parents about the achievements and motivations that the project has brought to the participants over the years,” McGrowder said.

Watson’s teacher, Kadine Wellinghton-James, said the competition was intense and that she is super proud of her double-champion speller.

She noted that preparing her champion speller was not that hard, because Watson’s parents were very involved in the process and would fit in when she was not available.

“Like Amirah, it was my first experience and the journey for us ended with the championship trophy. It was a sweet and humbling victory,” said Wellington-James, who also congratulated the 17 spellers, in particular the top three winners.

While this is her first time and Watson’s only opportunity, Wellington-James is already making plans to utilise the skills of Watson in preparing other students to enter the competition next year.

Tonian Blake-Watson, Amirah’s mother, said she knew that her daughter would leave the competition as a winner, largely because of the hard work she and her husband put in to make it happen.

“Amirah is special. She started reading when she was one year and eight months old,” Blake-Watson said of her daughter.

She noted that they had to prepare their champion speller from scratch, even though she is naturally an intelligent child.

“I told her to space herself, think about the word before spelling it because the competition is a marathon, not a sprint; and it’s not for those who can spell the words the fastest, but who can spell the word correctly,” she added.