The competitors of the 18th Annual Bahamas National Spelling Bee Final Competition paid a courtesy call on Minister of Education, Science and Technology Jerome K. Fitzgerald and Director of Education Lionel Sands at the Ministry of Education Conference Centre yesterday.

Fitzgerald welcomed the 20 young competitors and their coaches, and congratulated them on making it to the final round.

The minister welcomed the newcomer to the competition, Lyford Cay International School, and he encouraged even more public and private schools throughout The Bahamas to participate in the highly academic spelling bee.

The minister also "tipped his hat" to the only boy in the competition, Charles Hamilton Jr., 12, of St. Anne's High School.

He encouraged more boys to participate.

After being presented with certificates and autographed Oxford dictionaries from the minister and director of education, students were further encouraged to "strive for excellence" in all of their academic pursuits.

The minister noted that students from this competition go on to achieve even greater academic accolades and therefore he was certain that he would see many of them again.

Fitzgerald told the young audience and members of the Bahamas National Spelling Bee Committee that the event is one that he personally looks forward to every year and he knows all of the students will perform well during Sunday's competition.

The spelling bee is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. at Atlantis

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