LUCEA, Hanover — Lucea Primary School in this western parish has set a new benchmark for primary education with the official launch of what they say is Jamaica’s first literacy scrabble club.

The goal of the club is to foster a deeper love for words, enhance learning, promote teamwork, and encourage healthy competition among students.

The club was initiated and co-sponsored by Julie Spence, a Lucea Primary alumnus and founder of the Spelling Bee of Canada, where she currently resides.

“I am really excited about today’s launch — the launching of the Lucea Primary Scrabble Club. Literacy is something that is very big with Lucea Primary School. We have always been reinventing ourselves where we are encouraging students, stimulating students to read well. We have found this way to collaborate with Ms Julie [Spence] from Spelling Bee of Canada,” the school’s Principal Yasmin Anderson-Jackson outlined during an interview with the
Jamaica Observer following Thursday’s official launch.

The approximately 67-year-old institution boasts a strong academic track record, with students securing an overall grade of 86 per cent on the 2025 Grade 4 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) literacy exam.

“There’s always room for improvement, and we try our very best. One of our objectives in our school improvement plan is to improve literacy as best as possible,” stated Anderson-Jackson.

“We’re not doing badly where literacy [is concerned] — we have an enrichment programme, led by Ms [Jodi-Ann] Campbell, and she’s doing very well. She’s the [school’s] literacy coordinator also,” added Anderson-Jackson.

Spelling Bee of Canada founder and Lucea Primary School Scrabble Club co-sponsor Julie Spence (fourth left) donates a Scrabble game and Scrabble dictionary to principal of Lucea Primary School, Yasmin Anderson-Jackson (fourth right) on Thursday. Looking on are (from left) Councillor Brian Chambers (People’s National Party, Lucea Division); Lucea Primary School Literacy Coordinator Jodi-Ann Campbell; the school’s head boy and member of the Scrabble Club, Giovanni Watson; custos rotulorum of Hanover, Lennox Anderson-Jackson; mayor of Lucea, Sheridan Samuels; and enrichment programme specialist with the National Literacy Team in the Ministry of Education, Shauna Murray. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

Noting that Scrabble builds lifelong bonds, drives academic success, and teaches strategic thinking, Anderson-Jackson is encouraging other schools to engage in a similar initiative.

“Come on board, introduce this game to your students, even at the grade one level. I know that there are schools that are really struggling with literacy, and this is one way too that you can get the children away from the devices — the phones and the tablets — and go back to the basics where they learn to interact with each other through board games, family time,” argued Anderson-Jackson.

She has started the process of reaching out to other schools in the parish.

“If they have their Scrabble club, then we can compete against each other, which will make it even more interesting and fun for the children to learn,” reasoned the educator.

Expanding the club’s footprint is a shared vision between the school and its sponsor.

With the assistance of others in Canada, Spence donated 12 Scrabble boards, two Junior Scrabble boards, and 12 Scrabble dictionaries valued at more than CAD$300.

Through another fund-raising drive Spence was also able to provide the school with $45,000 and CAD$400 to assist with the club’s maintenance.

Enrichment programme specialist with the National Literacy Team in the Ministry of Education, Shauna Murray reading a book from Lucea Primary School’s library. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)

The initiative appears to have grabbed the attention of the Ministry of Education.

Enrichment programme specialist with the National Literacy Team Shauna Murray told the Observer that the ministry will be looking into using Lucea Primary as a blueprint.

“We’re now going to look to pretty much satellite the club to other schools. Today we already have Middlesex Corner Primary, which is another enrichment school, and we have Green Island that isn’t,” stated Murray.

“The idea, however, is to ensure that the… satellite system works for the clubs and they can be developed in other schools in Hanover first and then in other parishes. That is the dream, and actually that is the goal so we’re looking forward to this,” she added.

Murray also praised Lucea Primary for its impressive track record.

“They are known to be consistent, and their being the seat of this part of the initiative is extremely beneficial because they will see to it that it extends,” added the enrichment programme specialist.

Thursday’s launch was also addressed by custos rotulorum of Hanover Lennox Anderson-Jackson, who is also the husband of the school’s principal; mayor of Lucea, Sheridan Samuels; and Councillor Brian Chambers (People’s National Party, Lucea Division), who all offered congratulations on the start of the club, and noted its importance in contributing to students’ development.