Daniel Mancusi is the City's Fifth Grade Spelling Champ

Thank you! The pronouncer for the Spelling Bee was Dr. Jane Dorian, Professor at Fordham University and former Yonkers Public Schools English teacher. Judges were Vincent McPartlan, Executive Director of Elementary and Secondary Administration; Sheryl Chasin, Director of Organization Development; Margaret Grosiak, Assistant Director, English Language Arts; Christina Longo, Assistant Director, Organization Development; Tiombe Walls-Majors, Assistant Principal.

pub·li·cist n. 1. an individual in the publicity business 2. the winning word in the 46th annual 5th Grade Spelling Bee

PEARLS Hawthorne School fifth grader Daniel Mancusi might need the services of a publicist after winning the 5th grade Spelling Bee crown by correctly spelling the occupation. Daniel survived a nail biter, edging out 2nd place winner Theresa Cho from Our Lady of Fatima, and Dominque Nyemchek from Sacred Heart.

Sponsored by the Exchange Club of Yonkers, the Fifth Grade Spelling Bee has been a Yonkers tradition for more than four decades, involving thousands of children in classroom and schoolwide elimination contests as they move up to the Citywide Finals. This year, 86 public and private school students made it to the finals.

The winners will be honored at an Exchange Club luncheon in June, when they will also be awarded United States Savings Bonds.