It's time for NSDAR American History Essay Contest

Signal Hill Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), Barrington, is again sponsoring an American History Essay Contest for fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in Barrington and surrounding area's public, private or parochial schools, including the home-schooled.

The topic: "A Child's Journey through Ellis Island."

The year 2015 marks the 125th anniversary of Ellis Island as an immigration station. On a typical day, immigrants arriving on the island could expect to spend up to seven hours in processing activities intended to determine whether or not they were legally and medically fit to enter the United States.

Imagine yourself as a child traveling through Ellis Island in 1892. How would you describe your experience to your cousin who has never heard of Ellis Island?

Fifth-graders are invited to submit original work of 300-600 words; sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders are to submit original work of 600-1000 words. Judging is based upon completeness of title page, historical accuracy, adherence to subject, organization of material, originality, interest, spelling and punctuation, grammar and bibliography.

Interested teachers and students please call Joyce Wright, Signal Hill Chapter historian, at (847) 658-5993, for complete contest rules or check at your school.

Deadline for entries is Nov. 22. Teachers of interested students can arrange for essays to be collected from area schools; alternatively, essays may be mailed to the above address. Winners will be notified in January 2015.

On Feb. 21, 2015, Signal Hill Chapter will host the Youth Awards Days at the Barrington Library to honor the top three essay winners in each age group. First-place winners will receive a certificate, ribbon and a bronze medal. Second- and third-place winners will receive a certificate and ribbon. Schools of first-place winners will receive an engraved plaque.

First-place winning essays (one from each grade level) are automatically forwarded to the Illinois District IV competition. In total there are five levels in this national competition: Chapter, District, State, Division (Regional) and finally National Level. National winners will receive a gold pin, a National Winner certificate, a monetary award, and an expense-paid trip to attend the National Awards ceremony at the NSDAR Continental Congress, Washington, D.C., in June 2015.

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