(June 7, 2022) Congratulations to James Adamo (#7), a student at PEARLS Hawthorne School, for his first-place finish last night in the 56th annual Fifth Grade Spelling Bee. Second place honors go to Adam Al-Shareqi (#15), a student at Westchester Hills School 29, and third place honors belong to Vesper Victoriano (#36), a student at Rosemarie Siragusa School.

Sponsored by the Exchange Club of Yonkers and the Yonkers Public Schools, the Fifth Grade Spelling Bee has been a city tradition for more than six decades. Children compete in classroom and schoolwide elimination contests as they progress to the Citywide Finals. Seventy public and private school students made it to the finals this year.

Surrounding the students is the Spelling Bee Pronouncer, Dr. Jane Dorian, retired Yonkers Public Schools administrator; the judges, Judge Thomas Daly, Exchange Club of Yonkers, and Yonkers Public Schools Assistant Superintendents Maria Angelica Meyer, Erik Wright, Lissette Colon-Collins, and Luis Duany-Blanco, along with Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin M. Quezada. 

See more in the program!