Shari-Jo Miller is 'crowned' by Bishop Gibson High School principal, Dr Annette Piper during a celebratory function in the Manchester school's auditorium on Monday.

The auditorium at Bishop Gibson High School in Manchester was packed Monday morning, as students and staff paid tribute to Shari-Jo Miller, The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee champion for 2009.

Shari-Jo is a first former at the school.

There were broad smiles, which at times turned into laughter, as teachers, students, family members and members of the board of management of Bishop Gibson High congratulated the unassuming Shari-Jo on her enviable achievement.

Tributes, gifts, trophies, as well as a powerpoint presentation on her achievements since last year were presented in honour of the charming student who basked in the glory of what she had always wanted - to be Jamaica's champion speller.

As well as schoolmates from Bishop Gibson, Shari-Jo's former schoolmates from the Mandeville Primary and Junior High School were in attendance for the celebration.

When Shari-Jo was handed the champion baton by Lawre Johnson, second-form student at the school who was second in last year's final, loud cheers from the more than 800 girls, teachers and others who crammed the venue echoed through the auditorium.

Famous pose

However, the loudest cheers came when the national champion speller did Olympic champion Usain Bolt's famous celebratory pose.

The applause was thunderous for Shari-Jo when she posed on stage in front of her parents, LaVonne and Stephen Miller, who themselves were all smiles as they basked in their daughter's glory.

Principal of Bishop Gibson High Dr Annette Piper, who was herself a picture of joy, said it had been 16 years since a school outside of the Corporate Area had won the national Spelling Bee competition.

She said the win for Shari-Jo meant a great deal to the school and it was the first time Bishop Gibson was winning the championship.

"It is the third time that we are having a student entering since I have been here," said an elated Piper. "I started in 2005 and, personally, there is so much that this student and I share. About 40 years ago I was parish champion for St Thomas. I was trained by the same person who trained her, coach Primrose Swaby. So we have a lot to share."

Overjoyed

The principal, who wished Shari-Jo all the best, said she trusted that the national champion would go to the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition and make Jamaica proud.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee will be held May 26 to 28 in Washington, DC.

Shari-Jo's parents, who spoke with journalists after the function, were overjoyed by their only child's success. Mrs Miller told The Gleaner she was proud of her daughter and the fact that she attended Bishop Gibson, the school she herself attended.

"I know everybody is celebrating, but deep down we are celebrating too, because we are aware of the hard work that we have put in and to see it has really paid off. We are really happy," said Shari-Jo's mother.

Happy father

For his part, Mr Miller said he was happy that his daughter had shown that, with hard work and dedication, one could achieve anything. He added that he was happy, but not surprised about her victory, because he knew the preparation that went into her being crowned champion.

Shari-Jo's father also said he was aware that his daughter would have won two weeks before the final, based on the hard work put in by Shari-Jo and her coach and the keen interest he and his wife and others had paid to her preparation.

Swaby told The Gleaner she herself was a past Spelling Bee champion in 1972 and she still loved spelling. This, she, had kept her coaching spellers over the past 27 years.

Very happy

"This year I have the champion, even though I don't teach here. I am a teacher at Mandeville Primary and Junior High, but I coach Shari in the evenings at my home," said a happy Swaby, who said she knew Shari-Jo would have made it.

For her part, Shari-Jo was elated about her success. She told The Gleaner she had practised for a long time and that many sacrifices were made in her quest to be crowned national champion speller.

"I just feel very, very, very happy and words alone cannot describe how I feel. I am feeling good that my school has shown their love for me winning the competition. I guess they were planning it for a long time and they had been planning to surprise me," said Shari-Jo, who thanked all for their efforts. She hinted that she wanted to be involved in the performing arts when she finished high school.