MILWAUKEE — The winners of the 2025 MPS Spelling Bee finals have been crowned!
Kids across the district from 3rd to 8th grade have been prepping for months for the big day. The spelling bee took place over the course of two weeks, with students from 3rd through 5th grade classrooms facing off for their trophies on April 12.
On April 19, the students from 6th through 8th grade also competed.
MPS leaders say the competition is a great chance for some friendly competition outside of athletics. Plus, students learn important skills like time management and public speaking.
Several TMJ4 on-air personalities were guest spellers for the competition, including Adriana Mendez, Gideon Verdin, Mariam Mackar, Brendyn Jones, Andrea Williams, and Brendan Johnson.
You can see the full list of winners below.
Grade 8 winners
Champion: Joshua L. Bawizauk, Wedgewood Park International School
2nd place: Gabriela Sanabria-Mata, Golda Meir School
3rd place: Gianna Hernandez, Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes
See the word that won the bee for the 8th grader:
After he won first place, Bawigauk told TMJ4's Tahleel Mohieldin it felt great knowing his hard work paid off. Mohieldin asked the eighth grader what advice he had for future competitors.
"Just work hard, believe in God and let him do the rest for you," he said.
Grade 7 winners
Champion: Vivienne Parente Da Costa, Maryland Avenue Montessori School
2nd place : Snigdha Vipparthi, Wedgewood Park International School
3rd place: Logan Buchanan, James Fenimore Cooper School
See the word that won the bee for the 7th grader:
Parente Da Costa said the key to her success was confidence; she made sure to get on stage proud at the start of the competition.
In the final rounds, the judges brought out the Champion List, with words competitors couldn't study in advance. Parente Da Costa didn't let that shake her, even when the word "remembrance" threatened to take her out of the competition.
"I actually remember exactly what I said to myself," the seventh grader recalled. "I was just like, 'Well, at least you tried your best.'"
When her opponent misspelled that same word, Parente Da Costa got her second chance, and she used it to win first place for the second year in a row.
"I’m very happy and I’m very proud," she said. "It was pretty fun too, and I liked seeing other people’s reactions when they got words right."
Grade 6 winners
Champion: Calder M. Lucas, Maryland Avenue Montessori School
2nd place: Aiden J. Polivka, Wedgewood Park International School
3rd place: Charlotte A. Carter, Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts
See the word that won the bee for the 6th grader:
Ahead of the MPS Spelling Bee, Lucas said he spent a lot of time practicing with family, making sure to write down the words he got wrong for later review.
On competition day, Lucas said he was both nervous and excited on stage.
"I really wanted to get them right," he said.
By the end of the competition, Lucas said he felt "very, very good" with the first-place trophy in his hands.
Grade 5 winners
Champion: Benjamin R. Keto, Bay View Montessori School
2nd Place: Jade C. Fenceroy, 95th St. School
3rd Place: Samadhi Henry, Lowell International School
Watch: Benjamin R. Keto wins 5th Grade MPS Spelling Bee Final:
Grade 4 winners
Champion: Jhamar M. Scott, Grantosa Drive School
2nd Place: Khloe N. Dorsey, Lowell P. Goodrich School
3rd Place: Silas Otero, Bay View Montessori School
Watch: Jhamar M. Scott wins 4th Grade MPS Spelling Bee Final:
Grade 3 winners
Champion: Ella Fernandez, IDEAL School
2nd Place: Cameron Barki, Lowell International School
3rd Place: Yzabella Patterson, 95th St. School
Watch: Ella Fernandez wins 3rd Grade MPS Spelling Bee Final:
How to watch the competition:
TMJ4 News partnered with Milwaukee Public Schools for the 2025 Spelling Bee Finals, which was available to watch live on our website, or wherever you stream TMJ4. To watch this year's competition, click here.
TMJ4 also broadcast the MPS Spelling Bee in 2022, 2023, and 2024 as well. Click here to watch the 2022 competition, see 2023's coverage here, and see 2024's coverage here.
TMJ4's parent company is The E.W. Scripps Company, which hosts the Scripps National Spelling Bee every year.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
