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Jade Erin Bounces Back – Florida State
Spelling B Queen!
The first and second place winners of the Archdiocesan
Spelling B recently traveled to Orlando, Florida to compete in the Florida
State Council Spelling B. The Bahamas’ delegation was spearhead by the
Knights of Columbus’ Earl Thompson, Sr. (District Marshal), Alpheus Ramsey
(Knights’ Spelling B Coordinator) and Pat Coakley (Administrator Catholic
Board of Education) together with parents, school principals, coaches and
family members of Brittany Ferguson, Winner (Our Lady’s School) and Jade
Erin Mitchell 1st Runner up (Xavier’s Lower School) of the local
competition. Both Brittany and Jade Erin were well saturated and overflowing
with wordsmith abilities thanks to the skillful training of their valued
coaches, and buoyed by the love and support of their parents, grandparents
and school administrators.
Brittany
Ferguson and Jade-Erin Mitchell were the Bahamas’ Knights of Columbus
representatives at the Annual Florida State Council Spelling B Competition
hosted by the Kissimmee/ Orlando District Council of the Catholic Knights of
Columbus which pits winners hailing from the various Districts throughout
the state of Florida, sixty-four in all, that are eligible for the
competition in categories of Grade 5-6, Grade 7-8 and Grades 9-10. The
Bahamas entered in both 5th - 6th grade and 7th
– 8th grade categories represented by Brittany and Jade-Erin
respectively.
The
activity commenced at 11:00 am sharp as tension oozed into the room where
the judges and Spelling B coordinator/Mistress of Ceremony (MC) and
recorders took their places and the rules for the competition were
enunciated. Unnerved parents, family members pensive coaches and
participants listening ever intently to each and every word that came off
the lips of the MC. In the first round of competition Brittany did not fare
as well as she would have liked. The expectations are still high for her
though where she now sets her sights on the Nassau Guardian Scripps National
Spelling Bee Competition here in Nassau in March.
Jade-Erin
took up the mantle in the ensuing round with all the Bahamas’ hopes now
riding on her performance. Mr. Derek Ferguson related it best where he said
“Well I felt within my heart that the Lord was watching over Jade as she
went up, and that she would in fact win the competition!”. Jade did her
best going up against students in the 7-8 grade category, and some 6 to 9
inches north of her in height. Though small in stature, Jade exuded
confidence in her delivery throughout the entire competition despite her
parents’ and the Bahamas contingent hanging on her every breath and where
her pauses seemed like minutes. One by one contestants faltered, and then
there were three, including Jade Erin. The MC appeared to turn it up a notch
where the words became all the more challenging.
Jade held her own and ended
up in a spell off with the second place contestant from Florida who had
missed his word “impetigo“ and left the door opened for Jade who had to
spell the word correctly and then spell the next word on the list correctly
as well. Well she did just that and then calmly spelt the word “inertia” to
win the competition. Shouts of gladness and tears of joy abound and the
Bahamas’ Knights of Columbus Spelling B representatives again did the
country proud as they both fought well.
Last year Lauren Glinton of
Xavier’s Lower School had won the competition as well. She was accompanied
by her principal, coach and family members including Jade Erin, who was 5th
grader at that time, and a substitute in the local competition wanting to
garner the experience. Jade was determined and had set a goal to be the
2007 winner.
Jade was awarded the winners
trophy together with a cheque for her efforts. One of her aunts, Therese
(Mitchell), also a school teacher (Broward County Teacher of the Year) in
Coral Springs, Florida, attended the competition to see her premonition
unfold. She too presented Jade with a crystal plaque engraved “Spelling B
Winner” |
Nassau, Bahamas
