Young Marquardt Authors' Competition Winners Named
Thirty elementary students have been named district-wide winners of the 2016-17 Marquardt School District 15 Young Authors' writing competition. Participating schools included Black Hawk Elementary School, G. Stanley Hall Elementary School, Charles G. Reskin Elementary School, and Winnebago Elementary School.
At a reception honoring the top writers on May 16, 2017, K-5 students read their work aloud, sat for author interviews, and received individual awards in front of family and staff at Marquardt School District 15's Administration Center. This year's theme was "Star Wars" and the celebration centered on "Awakening the Force" of writing.
Marquardt School District 15 Young Authors' Contest inspires students to develop an expertise in and passion for writing, connects students to networks of writers, and gives students an authentic audience with whom to share their work.
Unlike the Illinois Statewide Young Authors' Conference, the Marquardt School District 15 Young Authors competition offers students the opportunity to receive feedback during every stage of writing and over a long period of time over the course of the year.
Curriculum specialists, teachers, reading specialists, and media specialists help students develop and refine their pieces over the course of the year. In the district-led contest, the writing process then becomes less of a solitary act focused on a grade and more of an ongoing, collaboration that celebrates growth and artistry. The support students receive outside of the classroom for the contest is aligned closely with the skills they are working on inside their classrooms in order to reinforce, extend, and deepen their thinking.
After running this contest locally for the first time three years ago, schools saw an increase in both the number and quality of student submissions. The Marquardt School District 15 Young Authors' Committee hopes to grow the initiative even more in the coming years. They envision opening writing clubs, forming partnerships between young and not-as-young writers, and planning events with local writers.
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Marquardt School District 15 Young Authors' Contest Winners 2016-17
Overall Winner:
"Broken Lamp" by Estrella R. Pedroza, Black Hawk Elementary School, Fifth Grade
Kindergarten:
"Never Let Go" by Baneen Hussain, Charles G. Reskin
"The Friendly Ghost with Kids' Friends" and "Ghosts Friends" by Khloe Peterson, Winnebago
First Grade:
"Drawing Tips" by Michelle Kachikwu, Black Hawk
"Mid-Autumn Festival" by Zachary Nguyen, G. Stanley Hall
"Good Manners" by Aisha Mohiuddin, G. Stanley Hall
"The Carrot, the Couch, and the Crazy Potato" by Nya Javier (illustrator), G. Stanley Hall
"My Sleepover at the Chicago Zoo" by Vincent Garces, Charles G. Reskin
"Awesome Sharks" by Michael Gramling, Winnebago
"The Birthday Trip to the American Girl Store" by Kayden Insidioso, Winnebago
Second Grade:
"Lily the Cat's Special Day" by Ariel Huynh (author) and Anikka Aquino (illustrator), Black Hawk
"The Carrot, the Couch, and the Crazy Potato" by Jaiden Javier, G. Stanley Hall
"Emma the Girl that Loved Gymnastics" by Chloe Boerger, Charles G. Reskin
"Nate's Laugh Out Loud Jokes" by Nathanael Romanovich, Charles G. Reskin
"Hurricanes" by Janet Lachhab, Winnebago
"The Ballet Competition" by Haley Pikul, Winnebago
Third Grade:
"The Nature Chase" by Stephanie Kachikwu, Black Hawk
"Under the Sea" by Aamna Akhoon, G. Stanley Hall
"All About Cute Animals" by Hafsa Khan and Carla Gonzalez, Charles G. Reskin
"The First Day of School" by Natalie Jaca and Nancy Estanislao, Charles G. Reskin
"Hurricanes" by Alaa Lachhab, Winnebago
"All About our Furblings" by Lily Donati and Jenna Donati, Winnebago
"What if the Teacher Fell Asleep" by Brianna Gutierrez, Winnebago
"Young Darth Vader and the Sharknado" by Sydney DeBellis, Winnebago
Fourth Grade:
"The Orb" by Fernando Amezqua, Black Hawk
"Jane The Warrior" by Sara Vergara, G. Stanley Hall
"An Idea in One" by Madison Garces, Charles G. Reskin
"Eloise" by Stephanie Cao, Winnebago
"Swimming" by Trinity Weisgerber, Winnebago
Fifth Grade:
"I Don't Understand…" by Donovan Metcalf, Charles G. Reskin
"All About the Tundra" by Chezia Conte, Winnebago