The Emotional Experience of the 10th Edition of Spelling Bee Bayelsa

The Spelling Bee Bayelsa competition was a deeply emotional experience, highlighting the significance of understanding and managing emotions, a crucial aspect of emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role in various facets of our lives, including relationships, communication, and overall well-being. During the competition, emotions ran high as spellers were visibly overwhelmed, shedding tears and expressing a wide range of feelings. This human experience of emotional expression was indeed remarkable.

I recall a moment when I approached the event’s convener to inquire about the emotional outbursts, and her response was simply, “that is how it is.” Surprisingly, despite the emotional rollercoaster, it was a fun and memorable experience for me.

The tenth edition of the Bayelsa Spelling Bee Competition, which consisted of primary and secondary categories, came to a thrilling conclusion with Meme Joanna emerging as the primary category winner and Inko Sodana Precious securing victory in the secondary category. The competition was made possible through the support of Creative Xpressions International, a media and education firm.

The competition, held at Davem Mini Hub & Children Music School in Yenagoa over the weekend, awarded generous cash prizes of up to N150,000, N75,000, and N50,000 to the winners, along with various other valuable gifts.

The Programme Lead, Dr. Ebidenyefa Tarila Nikade, who basked in the success of the Spelling Bee event, expressed heartfelt appreciation to the event’s frontline sponsors, Sundry Foods, Market Square, First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited (Lagos), and other local brands. She also acknowledged the support of the non-governmental organizations like the Eunice Nnachi Women Advocacy Foundation (ENWAF).

Dr. Ebi Nikade emphasized the significance of this event, stating that it marked the 10th edition of the competition for pupils in both public and private primary schools in Bayelsa State. This particular edition focused on science-based words, challenging the children to assimilate and reproduce them throughout the rounds until a winner emerged.

She mentioned that although they hoped for more support from relevant agencies and the government, the Ministry of Education endorsed the Spelling Bee Bayelsa, granting permission to host the event and to invite public and private schools to participate.

Every year, the event continues to improve upon the previous one, and she expressed optimism that next year’s edition would be better.

In the junior category, Meme Joanna from Jacob Beredugo International School clinched the top spot, with Meme Eliora from the same school securing the second position. Mmadu Chinaza from Amcel Breed International School took third place, followed by Powei Ajuwa in fourth place. Amaegbe Patricia from Tarepet Montessori Group of Schools claimed the fifth position.

In the senior category, Inko Sodana Precious from Tarepet Montessori Group of Schools emerged as the winner, while Miss Opuene Michelle from New Total Child Academy secured the second position. A tie for third place occurred between Berachah Michelle Okumoko from Faith Comprehensive International Secondary School and Ominigbo Amararu Natei from New Total Child Academy, resulting in Ebi-Samuel Marvellous from New Total Child Academy securing the fifth position.
The event’s highlights included the presentation of checks to the spelling Bee winners in both the primary and secondary categories, along with dictionaries, school bags, scramble games, and numerous other valuable items.