All-Island Spelling Bee champion Regina Bish thanks the members of the NCB team for hosting the breakfast and continuing to "build a better Jamaica". - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

Talk about a breakfast with champions! The top three spellers in the 2007 Gleaner Children's Own Spelling Bee national finals were the guests of the National Commercial Bank (NCB), at a special breakfast held on Friday, February 8.

All-island champion and champion girl Regina Bish, second place winner Lawre Johnson and third place Khandae Wright were joined by champion boy Jahmar Brown, and the youngest speller of the 14 parish champions, Rajdale Calloo, at the NCB Atrium. Chris Denny, NCB's regional manager, was the premier host, welcoming the spellers and their coaches and chaperones.

Denny and other members of the NCB staff, including Assistant General Manager Sheree Martin and Public Relations Manager Belinda Williams, chatted with the group. They praised the coaches for their dedication and the chaperones for their guidance, with a special word to Janise Manning, Regina's mother. Denny expressed his admiration for the spellers and what they had accomplished so far, and encouraged them to continue on the path they had started.

"It is all before you to do. You must believe you can win. Enjoy the moment but realise that it is a moment and that life goes on," he said.

Members of the Gleaner team, led by Coporate Affairs and Marketing Manager Karin Cooper, kept their hosts abreast of the latest developments in the Spelling Bee and some of the rules. Both sides agreed the breakfast could become a part of the Spelling Bee week of activities.

The breakfast was a hearty one, a fine mix of ackee and saltfish, breadfruit, bananas, escoveitched fish and dumplings. The NCB staff were eager to know more about their guests and the children told about their preparation for the contest and their future ambitions. It was noted with interest that Jahmar stated one of the professions he was thinking about was bank management.

The Spelling Bee group was then serenaded by NCB employee Dale James, who did an uplifting piece on striving, despite the trials, to your goal. The spellers, coaches and chaperones were then presented with tokens for their achievements.