Organisers of the Verbal Victory Spelling Bee hope to see students from all eligible schools on the island participate in the annual competition.

Linda Parker, from the charity’s board of trustees, said more than 200 students, representing 98 per cent of primary, elementary and middle schools, participated in the inaugural event during the 2024-25 school year.

Ms Parker said: “We’re looking for 100 per cent participation from both public and private schools.”

Ten-year-old Jared Arnante, from Somersfield Academy, won the final contest at The Berkeley Institute in March.

Warwick Academy student Olivia Brown, 12, was runner-up and 13-year-old Samantha Hernandez, from Dellwood Middle School, was third.

The trio met Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, and David Burt, the Premier and Minister of Finance, after the competition.

Retired Puisne Judge Norma Wade-Miller, the chairwoman of Verbal Victory board of trustees, initiated the previous iteration of the spelling bee, known as the Spelldown.

She said: “[The Spelldown team] was not as organised as this team is; there was nothing in it about strategic planning or sustainability.”

Vivlyn Cooper, another board member, explained: “We started out by envisioning what we wanted it to look like for the sustainability piece.

“We developed a mission that was a vision in action and set out strategic goals and objectives to work towards.”

A statement on bermudaspellingbee.com reads: “Our mission is to design and promote a supportive learning platform that affords every student the opportunity to develop cognitive, literacy and life skills that reach into all forms of communication.”

Ms Cooper said organisers did not know how many students would sign up for the competition but there was a “tremendous response”.

She shared: “The keenness and happiness was there and students forged friendships, so there were plusses that came out of it apart from just the spelling.”

Board members thanked Bermuda Press (Holdings) Ltd, gold sponsor for the contest, and the many volunteers who donated their time.

• Those interested in sponsoring the next spelling bee should contact Norma Wade-Miller at cusapuisne@gmail.com or 534-3332