Literary Achievement contest winners and ceremony date announced

Post date: Apr 25, 2018 11:43:24 AM

On Thursday, April 26th, at 6:30 p.m., the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District will present the 32nd Annual Literary Achievement Awards ceremony on stage in the Olenn Performing Arts Center at Wells High School. This event will recognize the 61 students who placed in this creative writing contest for 2018.

Twelve ‘first place’ winners from grades Kindergarten through grade 12 will read all or a portion of their short stories and poems before the audience. At this time, prizes will be awarded including the prize of $500 to WHS senior Elijah Peters for his 1st place collection of poems.

Other first-place winners include Addisyn Avery (Kindergarten), Aryan Sawant (Gr.1), Eva Talevi (Gr. 2), Sophie Mears (Gr. 3), Grace Mears (Gr 4), Landon Jacobson-Theriault (Gr. 5), Samuel Coleman (Gr. 6), Lucy Breton (Gr. 7), Tristan Michaud-Nolan (Gr. 8), Sydney McDermott (Gr. 9), Givon McLean (Gr 10) and Natalie Robinson (Gr. 11).

This writing contest and ceremony is an annual event that encourages, recognizes and rewards outstanding creative writing at all grade levels including Adult Education. This year, 286 students submitted various forms of writing including poetry, non-fiction, and fiction. All entries were judged anonymously at two levels, first by district staff members then later by a community panel. The top winner at each grade level (with the exception of Grade 12) will receive $100. Second place winners will receive $50 and third place winners will receive $25. Honorable mentions will receive $10 gift certificates to the Steakhouse in Wells.

The Literary Achievement Awards contest was established in 1986. The program is sponsored by the Wells-Ogunquit CSD, the Rotary Clubs of Wells and Ogunquit and the Steakhouse in Wells.

Standing (left to right) are the community judges for the 2018 Literary Achievement Awards: Joyce Patterson, Donna Thompson, Stacey Schatzabel, Jody Lagasse, Josh Lagasse, Ashley Toth and Jack Ford. In front (l to r): Diana Abbott and Brittany Maffei.