By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL
Freeport News Reporter
After a gruelling 25 rounds of competition, Shelleta Ferguson, a grade seven student at the Grand Bahama Academy, emerged as the champion of the 11th Annual Grand Bahama District Spelling Bee yesterday.
The 12-year-old took the crown after a duel with second-place winner LaShayne Rolle of Freeport Primary School that lasted from rounds nine through 25.
The winning word was "Nostradamus," given to Ferguson after she correctly spelled "prodromal," the word misspelled by Rolle.
"I'm very happy and I think that I couldn't have done it without God and the help of my coach and my parents," Ferguson gushed.
Her mother, Priscilla Ferguson, said she was very proud of her daughter's accomplishments.
"We worked very hard. I was very supportive and I also helped to coach her," she said.
Ferguson was not new to the competition, having represented her school last year as well.
Her brother, Brandon Ferguson, was also once a contestant, placing third in the 2006 District competition.
Both Ferguson and Rolle, as the two top finishers in the Grand Bahama District competition, will now represent the District at the National Spelling Bee on March 16 in New Providence.
The winner of that competition will then go on to represent The Bahamas at the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. on May 28-29.
The level of preparedness of the 24 contestants at yesterday's event was evident – no one was eliminated during the first round and by the end of the third round, half of the contestants were still in the game.
The fourth round saw six more students eliminated, leaving the final four: Ferguson, Rolle and third runners-up Antonette Loon of Grand Bahama Catholic High and T'Shera Adderley of Walter Parker Primary.
Loon and Adderly both made it to the eighth round before they were eliminated, leaving Ferguson and Rolle locked in a fierce battle to the end.
Daphne Barr, education officer with the Ministry of Education and the coordinator of the District Bee, expressed pleasure with the outcome of this year's competition.
The students, she said, seemed more prepared than ever, which she attributed to the changes in the competition's structure.
The focus, she explained, has since been shifted to ensure that students were not simply memorising the spelling, but rather gaining an understanding of the origin and meanings of the words.
"It appears this time that these students are more prepared for the competition than they have been for many years," said Barr. "I think they are doing an impressive job. What we are observing today is the result of teachers focussing more on preparing them to spell words, not just based on memorization. These students are spelling words they have never heard."
Barr explained that the students are now provided with 700 words in comparison to the 4,000 given before. The new booklet also provides samples of words in different categories as well as word tips and strategies to use to spell the words.
"So now that the focus is on teaching our children how to spell, we see a greater benefit to our children. I'm sure we will see significant improvement as the result of this kind of spelling bee, in the performance of our students in all of the external exams," she said. "These students will now have the vocabulary to effectively express themselves where they are truly understood and will also be able to transfer those words into real writing situations."
At the end of the competition, each contestant was presented with certificates from the Ministry of Education.
The first, second and third place winners received trophies as well as six, four and two round-trip tickets, respectively, on-board Discovery Sun Lines. Each of their coaches also received two tickets.
On behalf of the Bahamas National Spelling Bee Committee and The Nassau Guardian, the sponsoring newspaper of the National Spelling Bee, trophies were presented to the winners by Wanda Gomez, Human Resource Manager for The Guardian and Freeport News, and Oswald T. Brown, Editor and General Manager of The Freeport News.
OVERALL WINNERS — The Ministry of Education Grand Bahama District held its 11th Annual Spelling Bee Competition yesterday in the auditorium of the Foster B. Pestina Centre. Shelleta Ferguson of Grand Bahama Academy captured the top spot and LaShayne Rolle of Freeport Primary plced second. They were presented with their trophies by representatives of the sponsoring newspaper, The Nassau Guardian, parent company of The Freeport News. Pictured from left to right are Oswald T. Brown, editor and general manager of the Freeport News; Sherita Chambers, Ferguson's coach; Ferguson; Rolle; Martha Bullard, Rolle's coach; and Wanda Gomez, Human Resource Manager for The Nassau Guardian and Freeport News. (Photo by JENNEVA RUSSELL)
