Could you spell ‘zucchini’ or ‘thyroid’ under pressure?
Local students Alexis Bogle and Amrita Rajkumarsingh can.
The two are Cayman’s top primary and secondary school spellers after they won the top prizes at the 23rd RBC Royal Bank Primary Spelling Bee and the 40th Lions Club of Grand Cayman Secondary Spelling Bee Championships, respectively, last week.
Bogle, 10, a St Ignatius Catholic School student, secured the trophy as the Primary School Spelling Bee winner on 29 November with the winning word ‘zucchini’.
She won the title, a Department of Education Services (DES) statement said, after “a hard-fought battle ” with Prospect Primary School’s Haley Estwick in the tiebreaker round of the competition held at the John Gray High School Performing Arts Centre.
As the 2022 Primary Spelling Bee champion, Bogle received an iPad, the Spelling Bee trophy, and other prizes courtesy of RBC and the DES.
A total of 49 competitors from 17 public and private schools across the Cayman Islands battled for top honours at the annual spelling contest.
Haley Estwick placed second, and Tsuwana Aniyah Rhonda Augustine of Creek & Spot Bay Primary School placed third.
Vice President, Personal Banking, RBC Cayman Islands Ericka Rolle commended the students who participated.
“It takes courage and grit to stand there and be tested by an audience. I am proud of RBC’s support of this competition aimed at bringing youth together in the spirit of literacy and self-development,” she said.
Triple C School student Amrita Rajkumarsingh, the following day 30 Nov. at the Lions Centre, was crowned the secondary school spelling champion after four exciting rounds. Among her many prizes was a trip to a Cayman Airways destination of her choosing.
Layman E Scott Senior High School student Suwayne Young-Watson placed second, while Kennedy Wilder of Cayman Prep & High School took third place.
DES Acting Customer Services Manager and Spelling Bee organiser Nicki Samuels expressed delight at the competitors’ performance.
“The annual Spelling Bees continue to amaze. Our student’s hard work, dedication and perseverance, together with the support of their schools and the community, make these competitions possible. Congratulations to all our spellers who took part; we are already eagerly looking forward to next year’s competition,” Samuels said.
Lions Club of Grand Cayman 3rd Vice President Brian Barnes lauded the competitors for their outstanding performance at the secondary competition.
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