AlphaMax Academy wins English Spelling Bee for third time.

AlphaMax Academy won the first prize for Suriname English language schools or the third time in succession in the English Spelling Bee Contest. The contest was held on Saturday 18th August in the Congreshal in Paramaribo.This also means that the Academy is now the proud owner of the challenge trophy!

Photo: de Ware Tijd

There also was an English Spelling Bee contest for schools in which Dutch is the medium of instruction.

 In a separate round in this year's contest students had to give the meaning of English words.

“By going bigger, we want to realize a long-term goal, which is participating in the foreign Spelling Bee”, says Ms. Monique Brown, director of Stichting Leren voor een goede toekomst (Foundation of Learning for a good future). (Quote from article in de Ware Tijd Daily 20 April, 2015.)

One of the goals of the organization is promoting English language education in schools. She said that she was surprised that the children were so good.

This year AlphaMax Academy was the only participant in the category of schools in which English is the medium of instruction. Other English Language schools did not participate for a variety of reasons.

Since AlphaMax was the only school contestant,  AlphaMax students had to compete with each other. The overall winner was Archana Mangal. In second place was Joanna Daher and Sheetal Anroedh came  third . They got prizes; Archana Mangal got a trophy to keep and a laptop.

Archana Mangal said: “I not only wanted to participate but to broaden my knowledge, I also wanted to prove myself. And it is very important to be able to communicate in the English language.”

The students were prepared by AlphaMax Academy English instructors Kawita Thani,  Sharon Hoppie, Simone Griffith and  Cheryylyn Cambridge .

Carinlangs students -Kawita Thani,Vishal Ramjiawan and Gina Persaud were members of the jury  AlphaMax put  a lot of effort into preparing its students and helping to to organize the contest.

AlphaMax, and Archana, Joanna, Sheetal in particular, Congratulations!
 Source:  de Ware Tijd
Mr. Atma Jagbandhan,

Science instructor -AlphaMax Academy

AlphaMax Academy Convincing winner of Happy Spelling Bee Contest

Tamia Hoppie- AlphaMax Champion Speller

AlphaMax Academy convincingly emerged as the English-school winner of Suriname’s National English Spelling Bee Competition last night at the Congreshal in the capital city of Paramaribo.

The major educational event that attracted a full hall of students, teachers, team supporters, and parents – about 750 in all – was organized by Stichting Leren voor een Goede Toekomst (Foundation for a Better Future).

Two AlphaMax scholars successfully captured both the first and second English-school prizes in the fourth and final round of a hotly contested event in which a total of 43 contestants from 22 schools competed for top honors.

The participating schools in the English spelling competition were divided into Dutch-speaking institutions and English-speaking ones.  There were four participating English-curriculum schools facing off in the May 8th finals that saw competitive spelling among primary school, middle school and junior secondary school students, namely from:  the AlphaMax Academy, the Caribbean Education Institute of Suriname, Christian Liberty Academy, and Suriname International School.

After three rounds of spelling a wide range of words graded according to levels, the original field of fourteen (14) English-curricula contestants was whittled down to 8 students – five (5) of whom were AlphaMax scholars, two (2) from Christian Liberty Academy, and one (1) from the Caribbean Education Institute of Suriname.  The five AlphaMax scholars who made it to the final round were Graciella Kenswil, Joanna Daher, Andrea Lau, Noor Patandin, and Tamia Hoppie.

Following the fourth and final round, the Queen Spelling Bee, and winner of the first prize in the English schools, was Tamia Hoppie, AlphaMax junior high school student.  Her performance was an impressive 100%.  Joanna Daher of the Academy’s middle school program emerged as the runner-up Spelling Bee, taking home the second prize.

The National English Spelling Bee Competition is a ground-breaking visionary initiative of Drs. Monique Brown, the Director of the Stichting voor een Goede Toekomst.

Runner up Joanna Daher with the Venezuelan Ambassador to Suriname

Dr A. Murugesan and Kenneth Biervliet – until recently the Director of Education in the Ministry of Education of Suriname – were the specially invited Guests of Honor to distribute the trophies and gift prizes to the winning students and school coaches.

Dr Murugesan is an international artist from India.  Following a career as an economist, English Literature teacher, and human resource director, Dr Murugesan currently resides in Suriname with his spouse, the Ambassador of India.

It is the second time the AlphaMax Academy has won the English National Spelling Bee top honors in Suriname.  The Academy won the first competition in June 2013, at the Congreshal in Paramaribo.

2014 Spelling Bee Champion Tean with teacers.

The winners of the Queen Spelling Bee title in the Dutch-school competitions were students from Geyersvleit Mulo (Junior Secondary) school and O.S. Reeberg (Projekt) Primary School.  Students from both schools emerged as the champion and runner-up – taking home the first prize trophies and second prize medals.

This year the first round of the National English Spelling Bee competition had attracted 24 Dutch and English schools.  The first-round spelling competition was run-off in January, earlier this year.

The AlphaMax students who made it to the finals of the Spelling Bee competition were  Graciella Kenswil, Joanna Daher, Andrea Lau, Noor Patandin, Lakiesha Despo, and Tamia Hoppie.  Their Academy’s English teachers and Spelling Bee Coaches included Simone Griffith, Sharon Hoppie, Vijoya Taylor, and Kawita Thani.