News Release
WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools (WCS) hosted its 2026 Elementary Spelling Bee on the evening of Jan. 21, bringing together 16 fifth and sixth-grade spellers.
Student representatives from each elementary school included:
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Claypool Elementary: Bailey Woodward (5th), Elizabeth Alexander (6th)
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Eisenhower Elementary: Ian Cervantes (5th), Madeline Hochstetler (6th)
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Harrison Elementary: Tommy Jennings (5th), Mya Chambers (5th)
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Jefferson Elementary: Cadence Shepherd (6th), Jackson Watson (5th)
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Leesburg Elementary: Fiona Fisk (5th), Madison Glova (5th)
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Lincoln Elementary: Isaac Qualley (5th), Krishna Puthucode (6th)
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Madison Elementary: Siddarth Chamala (6th), Dawson Miller (5th)
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Washington Elementary: Jane Zollinger (6th), Emma Shilling (5th)
After nine rounds of spelling over the course of an hour, Fiona Fisk, a fifth grader from Leesburg Elementary, was crowned champion with the winning word “gardenia.” Fiona shared, “The process is incredibly nerve-wracking!”
Isaac Qualley, a fifth grader from Lincoln Elementary, finished as the runner-up following a strong showing throughout the bee.
As champion, Fiona Fisk has been registered on spellingbee.com to complete the regional qualifier test, a 50-question spelling and word meaning assessment administered between February 18–25. Top finishers on the qualifier will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee Indiana Regional Bee in March.
Warsaw Community Schools congratulates all student participants for their hard work and dedication and wishes Fiona the best of luck as she advances to the next level of competition.
