Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw Community Schools (WCS) hosted its 2026 Elementary Spelling Bee on Jan. 21, bringing together 16 fifth- and sixth-grade spellers.
Student representatives from each elementary school included:
Claypool Elementary: Bailey Woodward (fifth), Elizabeth Alexander (sixth)
Eisenhower Elementary: Ian Cervantes (fifth), Madeline Hochstetler (sixth)
Harrison Elementary: Tommy Jennings (fifth), Mya Chambers (fifth)
Jefferson Elementary: Cadence Shepherd (sixth), Jackson Watson (fifth)
Leesburg Elementary: Fiona Fisk (fifth), Madison Glova (fifth)
Lincoln Elementary: Isaac Qualley (fifth), Krishna Puthucode (sixth)
Madison Elementary: Siddarth Chamala (sixth), Dawson Miller (fifth)
Washington Elementary: Jane Zollinger (sixth), Emma Shilling (fifth)
After nine rounds of spelling over the course of an hour, Fisk was crowned champion with the winning word “gardenia.”
Fisk said, “The process is incredibly nerve-wracking!”
Qualley finished as the runner-up.
The competition was led by pronouncer Matt Deeds and judged by a panel of principals.
As champion, Fisk has been registered on spellingbee.com to complete the regional qualifier test, a 50-question spelling and word meaning assessment administered between Feb. 18–25. Top finishers on the qualifier will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee Indiana Regional Bee in March.
