LEFT: Adrian Raymond being congratulated after winning the parish final for St. Thomas in Morant Bay on Monday. RIGHT: Daniele McPherson being congratulated by her teacher, Carlene Valentine of Fellowship Primary and Junior High, after winning the parish final for Portland in Port Antonio on Monday. - PHOTOS BY RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
AIRY CASTLE Primary and Fellowship Primary and Junior High were the toasts of the first day of spelling in the 2005/06 Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee on Monday.
Spellers from both schools retained the St. Thomas and Portland parish titles respectively. Adrian Raymond from Airy Castle bettered 34 other spellers in the morning spell-down at the Anglican Church hall in Morant Bay. It was a quinella for the Airy Castle supporters as his schoolmate, Janeve Hamilton, finished second. Third went to Samantha Jackson of Middleton Primary; fourth to Ann-Cheires Taylor of Duckenfield Primary; and fifth to Sharmanee Hibbert of Wilmington Primary.
"I am happy to retain the cup. I was sure I would do something and at least come in the top five," said an elated Adrian who was joyfully mobbed by teachers and fellow students after he spelled d-e-p-o-t.
Sandra Cunningham of National Commercial Bank presented him with a certificate for also being Champion Boy.
In the Portland spelldown later in the day, nine-year-old Daniele McPherson finished top of the 17 spellers that turned out for the competition. The diminutive grade four student was a picture of calm after she got the better of a brave Colleen Davis of Buff Bay Primary.
FEELS GOOD
"It feels good to be champion of my parish," she said as her father, Peat McPherson, and mom, Marlene Campbell, stood looking at her in admiration. The top five was dominated by girls, as Mitchka Miller of Boston Primary and Infant finished fifth; Stacy-Ann Parkes of Ken Wright Primary finished fourth and Janielle Clarke of Happy Grove High placed third.
Spellers in St. Thomas were presented with prizes from Bigga and Kraft Foods, while all spellers received books and pencil kits, sponsored by the Gleaner Company Limited.
