The Rotary Club of Liamuiga proudly hosted its 19th Annual Primary School Spelling Bee Competition on Thursday, October 23, 2025, continuing its long-standing commitment to literacy and youth development across St. Kitts and Nevis. The event, held at the Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium, brought together some of the island’s brightest young minds in a spirited showcase of spelling skill, confidence, and composure.
The proceedings began with opening remarks from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, who officially welcomed everyone to the event and expressed his pleasure and that of the Ministry in partnering once again with the Rotary Club of Liamuiga. He commended the Club for its enduring contribution to education and reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for initiatives that empower and motivate the nation’s youth to pursue excellence.
This year’s competition featured participants from the following primary schools across St. Kitts: Beach Allen Primary School, Sandy Point Primary School, Dieppe Bay Primary School, Tucker Clarke Primary School, Edgar T. Morris Primary School, Seventh Day Adventist Primary School, Saddlers Primary School, Immaculate Conception Catholic School, Newton Ground Primary School, Bronte Welsh Primary School, Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School, Violet Petty Primary School, Cayon Primary School, George Moody Stuart Primary School, Deane Glasford Primary School, St. Paul’s Primary School, Epworth/Maurice Hillier Memorial Junior School, SKI Academy and Halliday Smith Primary School.
After the first round, the top eleven schools advanced to the elimination round, where each student was asked to spell one word. Those who spelled correctly moved on to the final round, which produced three outstanding finalists: – Miss Arianne John Paul – Seventh Day Adventist Primary School – Mr. Justin Harris – Edgar T. Morris Primary School – Miss Genesis Tyson – Tucker Clarke Primary School Following nine intense rounds of competition, Miss Genesis Tyson of the Tucker Clarke Primary School emerged as the overall winner, having spelled all her words correctly in every round, and sealed the win with the word “chlorophyll.”
The prize distribution was as follows: Winner: Miss Genesis Tyson – XCD $1,000.00; her teacher Mrs. Anita Peter Dolphin received XCD $500.00 and prizes from Fruta, Rams, and Shirley. Second Runner-Up: Mr. Justin Harris – XCD $500.00; his teacher Ms. Zola Richardson received XCD $250.00 and prizes from Carib Breweries. Third Runner-Up: Miss Arianne John Paul – XCD $250.00; her teacher Mrs. Charmain Blanchette received XCD $125.00 and prizes from Carib Breweries.
Each participant received prizes from the sponsors Rotary Club of Liamuiga, Haliborange, RAMS, Fruta, Shirley, TDC, Harper’s Office Depot, SchoolMate+, Smalta, and Carib Brewery. This year’s competition marked another milestone in the Club’s ongoing mission to support education, nurture excellence, and encourage friendly competition among primary school students. Admission was free, allowing families and community members to cheer on the participants as they competed for top honours. The Rotary Club extends sincere appreciation to its Corporate Partners in Service, whose continued generosity makes this educational initiative possible. Sponsors for this year’s event include RAM’s, Haliborange, Fruta, Shirley, The Bank of Nevis Limited, Republic Bank (EC) Limited, Caribbean Credit Card Corporation, CIBC, NCI (National Caribbean Insurance), Harper’s Office Depot, Carib Brewery, Warner’s One Stop, SL Horsford & Co. Ltd., TDC Group, SchoolMate+, SKN Citizenship by Investment Unit, and Modern Elegance Photography and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis. The Spelling Bee remains one of the Rotary Club of Liamuiga’s flagship youth development projects, aligned with Rotary’s global focus on supporting education and literacy. Through initiatives like this, the Club continues to inspire the next generation of leaders and lifelong learners. Rotary Club of Liamuiga — Service Above Self
For more information about the Rotary Club of Liamuiga and its community projects, visit www.rotaryliamuiga.org or follow us on social media.