Alexis Bogle and Amrita Rajkumarsingh emerged as Cayman’s top primary and secondary school spellers last week at the 23rd RBC Royal Bank Primary Spelling Bee and the 40th Lions Club of Grand Cayman Secondary Spelling Bee Championships, respectively.

Alexis, a ten-year-old St Ignatius Catholic School student, emerged as the Primary School Spelling Bee winner on 29 November 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.

The winning word was zucchini. 

The 2022 Primary Spelling Bee Champion received an iPad, the coveted Spelling Bee trophy, and other prizes courtesy of RBC and the Department of Education Services (DES).

Haley Estwick placed second, and Tsuwana Aniyah Rhonda Augustine of Creek & Spot Bay Primary School placed third out of 49 competitors from 17 public and private schools across the Cayman Islands. 

The following day (30 November), Triple C School’s Amrita Rajkumarsingh won the secondary school championship 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’s Suwayne Young-Watson placed second, while Kennedy Wilder of Cayman Prep & High School took third place.

The competition took place at the Lions Centre. 

Spelling Bee organiser, DES Acting Customer Services Manager Mrs. Nicki Samuels, expressed her 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!”

Lions Club of Grand Cayman’s 3rd Vice President, Mr. Brian Barnes, also lauded the competitors for their outstanding performance at the secondary competition. 

In her comments at the primary competition, Vice President (VP), Personal Banking, RBC Cayman Islands Ms. Ericka Rolle remarked. “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.”