Daniel McPherson, Spelling Bee parish winner for Portland, with her coach Carlene Valentine. - photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Nestled near the Rio Grande Valley in Portland lies Fellowship Primary and Junior High.

The school is celebrating its third year as holders of the Portland parish title. Current champion Daniel McPherson is two-time champion. Approximately 600 students roam Fellowship's halls daily.

At the beginning of the term, the school introduced Spanish into the curriculum, taught by Cuban teacher Matia Legra.

"I use the communicative approach. It's more talking. There is some writing, but the emphasis is on speech," said Legra.

The Spanish classes are part of an initiative for students to start learning a foreign language before they get to high school. Teachers say the younger students (grade one) seem to be having the most fun. Signs in both English and Spanish line the doors and corridors of the institution.

Another initiative started in the new academic year was the implementation of reading classes for grades seven to nine students.

"Ordinarily, students don't do reading as a subject in secondary school. There's a need for us to do it because of the type of children we get," says senior teacher Herma McFarlane. The programme is facilitated by a reading lab.

A grade 10 programme has also been introduced for the students who do not receive a place in the Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT). The students learn a skill and improve on their subjects. The aim is that even if they still don't get into high schools, for grades 10 and 11, they will at least be fairly competent in a technical area.

Despite being winners of the Portland Spelling Bee for the past three years, there is a move to get more children involved in the competition at the school level as they don't come out for in-house competitions.

Modest

"You must have more than one child in the programme. After the national finals, we'll see what we can do," says Carlene Valentine, spelling bee coach. She is modest about the three consecutive wins, putting it squarely on the children.

"The secret is in the students I get to work with. They have to have the interest. My interest cannot do it alone," she says.

If she can continue to turn out champions, Fellowship will be at the top for years to come.