A proud Daviesh Mills with her trophy. - Photos by Ian Allen/Photographer

THE GIRLS are taking note and stepping up. After having a competition dominated by boy spellers this year, the tables are turning, with the girls fast catching up. Daviesh Mills of St Hilda's Diocesan High School yesterday became the fourth girl to take a parish title when she won the St Ann leg of The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee 2009-10 competition.

Twelve-year-old Daviesh, who was last year's champion, stood out from the get-go.

Special ritual

One of the tallest spellers there, having to bend over to speak into the microphone, Daviesh was deliberate in her pronunciation of each letter.

Always shuffling her left leg as if performing a dance ritual, her method of spelling differed from all others in the St Ann Parish Churchhall. She spelt each word two letters at a time, unless that word contained an odd number of letters. In that case, the last letter would stand alone.

But it was a long battle for Daviesh, who was fifth at nationals last year, as once again, St Ann proved why it is one of the toughest parishes around.

Fifty-five spellers queued up at three o'clock yesterday for what would prove to be a marathon afternoon of spelling. After the first round, the number had dwindled to 18. Slowly, the numbers became even fewer, until the top four spellers stood their ground and refused to let up.

With just one boy among them, they spelt their hearts out. But it was the final battle between Daviesh and Ocho Rios Primary's Abigail Richards which would have the audience spellbound. Eleven-year-old Abigail showed she would not go down without a fight. Her ability to correctly spell each word seemed impenetrable until that same word proved her undoing. Daviesh made light work of it and went on to spell I-M-P-E-C-C-A-B-L-E, prompting much applause and admiration from the audience. All agreed it was a battle well fought.

Tradition of excellence

Ocho Rios Primary continued its tradition of excellence, producing not only the number-two speller, but the champion boy as well. It was from there also that Daviesh, last year, began her reign as parish queen.

Daviesh explained that she planned to "work harder when I'm studying and just work on my vocabulary" in her bid to take the national finals next year.

Number of schools: 29

Number of spellers: 55

Overall champion: Daviesh Mills

Champion boy: Sajaey Harrison

Winning word: Impeccable

Winning school: St Hilda's Diocesan High

Top five

1. Daviesh Mills, St Hilda's Diocesan High

2. Abigail Richards, Ocho Rios Primary

3. Sajaey Harrison, Ocho Rios Primary

4. Delia Bennett, Hampton Preparatory

5. Rochelle Gabbidon, Aabuthnott Gallimore High