Pegasus Hotel, KINGSTON, Jamaica , Wednesday, 5^th February, 2014:

By: Claudette de la Haye, Caribbean Financial Network News, Detroit, Michigan, USA

The Gleaner’s Children’s Zone Jamaican Spelling Bee is an institute of 56 years – longer than Independence. Preparation for children in the Spelling Bee Manual is four months which, is hardly enough time for any child to prepare for them to understand the international nuances in order to compete.

The emotionalism between patois is complicated and you cannot communicate abroad because the language is complicated and of little relevance globally. Yet, by the same token if we push  English on the children they will continue to reject and default to patois.

We must expose children to the meticulous discipline so, NEVER under estimate the capacity of child, because hard work is the price of success.

The competition starts with a School Spell Down which leads to Parish Finals then the individual parish finalists are automatically entrant to the National Spelling Bee. The children are equipped with spelling bee coaches and the most famous of them all is Reverend Glen Miller. Rev. Miller holds the distinction of coaching since 1986 and has been coaching in schools since, 1992. His most noted achievement is with Scripps Howard Spelling Bee, USA of all Jamaican participants notably, Jody-Anne Maxwell  Jamaican Spelling Bee 1998.

MEET THE CONTESTANTS 9 BOYS AND 5 GIRLS:

Jemoy Jarrett – Hanover                              Rushawn Stewart – Portland
Aliyah Deroux – St Elizabeth                       Javane Johnson  – St Cathrine
Ojea Sheckleford – Manchester                   Joshua Grant- St Andrew
Tajaun Gibbison – Clarendon                       Chaunte Blackwood – Kingston
Nickalia Weise – St thomas                         Grieg Campbell – St Mary
Sydonie Bell – St Ann                                 Lariecia Harvey – Trelawny
Keshawn McGrath – St James                     Racleo Clarke – Westmoreland

The room was filled with tension with brief lapses of the audience having lapses of indiscipline where members of the audience were craning their necks around the TV  monitor spelling the words and,    were publicly admonished by officials not to spell out the words.

The competition came down to Tajaun  Gibbison, Champion Boy and Chaunte Blackwood, Champion Girl of the competition.

COMPETITION SPELLING BEE WORDS 2014

BIBLIOMANCY   ENDOGAMY       INPHECTRIVE     INCIPIENT           HERNENEUTIC   UNARY

ARGOSY               AVANCULAR      NOORSPHERE    VIOLACETOUS   YOBBISH              GYPSICFEROUS   IDEOLECT             THALASSIC          EPOPEE       APHELION           MEGILAH             CELLEPSIS     PALILOGY   RHADAMATHINE    THANATOPHOBIA     CERULEAN    ENNEAD    XERARACH   KAMIKAZE

SPELL MASTER Dr. Clive Lai gave the winning competition word to Taujaun  Gibbison, Champion Boy was given  the word H-Y-P-O-G-E-U –S-I-A  meaning  a reduced ability to taste things.

Rev. Glen Archer was  coach to both Champions 2014, Tajuan Gibbison and Chanunte Blackwwod. In addition Rev. Archer had coached 5 contestants for 2014 and, this is his 26th Champion while, Lariecia Harvey was declared 2014 Cornwall Champion.

Rev Archer’s secret to approach in preparing a student is a formula which, NEVER fails. He said, “It’s a package; Apexes (Prefixes  and Suffixes) with comparisons with vocabulary in American and UK ,English. We use Etymology in Oxford, Merriam and Webster.”Runner up Chaunte Blackwood said, “my schedule consists of intense training consisting of nine hours per day but it has increased my vocabulary one hundred fold”.

Scripps Howard remains very much aware of Jamaica’s competitive presence of  Rev Archer. So while we congratulate Tajuan Gibbison on his accomplishment we wish him well, May 2014 when, he comes to the USA for Scripps Spelling Bee. GO BRAND JAMAICA.