Mark Beckford, Gleaner Writer

The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee GSAT County Scholarship recipients and their coaches (from left, in front): Shari Rowe, Adrian Raymond and Regina Bish with (back row, from left): Cherilla Maddan, The Gleaner's Oliver Clarke, Sylvia Stanley, Patricia Buchanan, and Glen Archer. - photos by Andrew Smith/Photography Editor

In a cheerful and light-hearted affair at the Gleaner Company's downtown Kingston headquarters yesterday, three outstanding Gleaner/Children's Own Spelling Bee participants were awarded with The Gleaner/Children's Own GSAT County Scholarship Awards.

Middlesex winner Regina Bish, Surrey's Adrian Raymond and Shari Rowe, Cornwall's recipient, with beaming parents and teachers in tow, were treated and feted at a luncheon that also recognised their achievements.

The luncheon, chaired by the newspaper's Corporate Affairs and Marketing Manager Karin Cooper, also saw the participation of Andrene Hutchinson, spelling bee champion for Hanover, who thrilled the gathering with energetic and stirring performances of poems entitled 'The Gleaner' and 'Wha mi ah go do Lawd'.

The selection of the three scholarship winners was based on their remarkable results in the recent Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) examinations. However, on the day, the three winners reflected on their experiences in the Spelling Bee and how it has contributed to their development.

Rewarding effect

Regina Bish painted her experience as one that had a dual but rewarding effect on her. "My experience in the Spelling Bee competition has been a fantastic one, but sometimes it was very stressful and I had to make a lot of sacrifices."

Shari Rowe described her participation as opening her up to a new experience which involved meeting new people. "It has also enhanced my vocabulary, and it has helped me to do well in English, where I got 100 per cent in my GSAT English examinations," Shari said. She is the first from her school to achieve such a feat.

Adrian Raymond also said the competition widened his vocabulary, in addition to improving his linguistic skills. "It has helped me in my speaking and writing and, if someone is using a word incorrectly, I can correct them."

The teachers of the three awardees were also full of praise for both the competition and the scholarships. Cherila Maddan, Shari's trainer, commended The Gleaner on its involvement in promoting education.

"Congratulations to The Gleaner on this benevolent gesture and, at this time, we know how expensive education is and I'm sure the parents here are quite pleased with it," she said .

Meanwhile, Sylvia Stanley, Adrian Raymond's teacher, said the Spelling Bee competition has aided in the development of children at her school. She also said it promoted the image of her school, Airy Castle Primary, as well as involved the community.

Regina Bish's coach, the Reverend Glenn Archer, was equally full of praise for the competition. A spelling champion in 1965, Rev. Archer said the experience of participating in a competition is a lasting one. "Spelling Bee never leaves you, it stays with you, it is a scintillating experience, and it is commendable that The Gleaner Company has been with it so long."

Left: The three awardees will be attending high school in September, with Adrian attending Morant Bay High School, Regina attending Campion College and Shari will be going to Hampton.   Right: Andrene Hutchinson, The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee Hanover Parish Champion, performing a poem at the presentation luncheon of The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee Grade Six Achievement County Scholarship Awards yesterday.