Word-for-word showdown of the Bees
Published:Tuesday | February 7, 2017 | 12:00 AM
The grand stage is now set for today's staging of The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee National Finals at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.
The competition gets under way at 8:30 a.m.
Fourteen crowned parish champions will go word for word in a bid to be crowned champion.
The televised finale will be aired live on TVJ, starting at 9 a.m.
Yesterday, the spellers completed the preliminary test, inclusive of a written examination, dictation, and comprehension at The Jamaica Pegasus.
Other platforms to keep updated on The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee news include:
- Live stream at go-jamaica.com/spellingbeefinals.
- Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @jamaicagleaner.
- Keep up with the latest news on the official Gleaner Facebook page www.fb.com/gleanerjamaica.
Join the conversation using the hashtag #GLNRBee.
Spelling facts
- At seven years old, St Ann parish champion Zarah Wallace is the youngest speller in this year's competition.
-The ratio of girls to boys for the 14 spellers vying for the title of national Spelling Bee champion is 9:5.
- Hanif Brown coaches four spellers in this year's competition - St Elizabeth's Jessica McKnight; Kingston's Sowande Brown; St Andrew's Assana Thompson; and St Catherine's Windel Martin. Brown also coached last year's winner, Chaunte Blackwood.
- Assana Thompson, first runner-up in the 2016 national final, has re-entered the competition.
- Manchester parish champion Drizel Wilson is coached by her father, Barrington Wilson.