5th Grader Adam Malone Wins Spelling Bee

This article was created with support from Dave Porreca, Communications & Social Media Specialist.

Abysmal. A-B-Y-S-M-A-L. The winning word of this year’s spelling bee was anything but abysmal for winner 5th grader Adam Malone! This year’s event was definitely a nail-biter, featuring 24 of the district’s best spellers competing for the crown. Grades 4-8 competed, with eight students representing each of John Mills, Elmwood, and Elm. Held in the Elmwood Elementary main gym, administrators from each school attended to cheer on their students. 

Adam was on team John Mills, led by the school’s enrichment teacher, Amy Fishman. Elmwood was coached by Annina Meacham, who also teaches enrichment at her school. Elm was headed by Lauren Mastrianni, who teaches 6th grade science.

This year was Adam’s first time competing in the spelling bee. Surprised and proud of his win, he said, “At first I was in a state of shock, then I was pumped with so much energy I felt like I could run across the gym.” To prepare for this day, he and his team went through a rigorous practice schedule. When asked how valuable the practices had been to his win, he stated, “Like diamonds, extremely valuable!”

Even with a close call on the tough word “invective,” Adam was able to work the word out in his head and spell it correctly. This was a major win for him, giving him confidence to go on and clinch the entire competition.

For second place, there was a tie between last year’s champion, Elm 7th grader Molly Shanahan, and John Mills 5th grader Ivy Oliaro. They both did a spectacular job taking on some incredibly challenging words. To see the other participants in this year’s spelling bee, view the rosters below. 

JOHN MILLS
Lina Arroyo, 4th
Adam Malone, 5th
Jeremias Moreno, 5th
Ivy Oliaro, 5th
Mateo Reyes, 5th
Jacob Sides, 5th
Paul Swiderski, 5th
Brian Zosimov, 5th

ELMWOOD
Dannah Erin Bucal, 4th
Penelope Carey, 5th
Xochitl Ceaser, 5th
Kacper Jachym, 5th
Izabel Martinez, 5th
Yariel Rivera, 4th
Jaxiah Sanchez, 4th
Joseph Wozniak, 4th

ELM
Nichole Gutierrez, 8th
Adelaide Jimenez, 7th
Tristan Peters-Hampton, 6th
Amelia Pogorzelski, 8th
Molly Shanahan, 7th
Niecey Steffanoni, 6th
Luisangel Trujillo, 6th
Valeria Villegas, 6th

The next event on Adam’s list is the West40 Scripps Spelling Bee in March at E.F. Lindop School in Broadview. The competitions that District 401 and West40 hold are part of the process of selecting contestants for the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Adam wanted to leave his fellow students with a message, stating, “Participate in the spelling bee! You will love it! It’s possibly the best thing that’s happened to me. Also, if you win, you get a shiny medal!”

Take a look at the video below to see the final moments of this year’s spelling bee, including the moment when Adam realized he won.

To view more photos from this event, please visit the SmugMug photo gallery.

Congratulations to all who participated, and a special congratulations to Adam! Good luck in March!