Literary Achievement contest winners and ceremony date announced

Post date: Apr 10, 2019 10:49:40 AM

On Thursday, April 25th, at 6:30 p.m., the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District will present the 33rd Literary Achievement Awards ceremony on stage in the Olenn Performing Arts Center at Wells High School. This event will recognize 67 students who placed in this annual creative writing contest which received 252 entries this year.

Fourteen ‘first place’ winners from grades kindergarten through adult education will read all or a portion of their stories and poems before the audience. At this time, prizes will be awarded including $500 to WHS senior Katherine Reidy for her first place story which is untitled.

Other first place winners include Maya Roche (kindergarten), Addisyn Avery (Gr.1), Scarlett Lantz (Gr. 2), Sofia Passaretti (Gr. 3), Francesca MacEwen (Gr 4), Camden Mosher (Gr. 5), Victoria Chase (Gr. 6), Samuel Coleman (Gr. 7), Emily Kenney (Gr. 8), Arianna Leighton (Gr. 9), Kathryn Cafaro (Gr 10), Michael Patnaude (Gr. 11), and Paula Villa (adult education).

This writing contest and ceremony is an annual event that encourages, recognizes and rewards outstanding creative writing at all grade levels. Students submit various forms of writing including poetry, non-fiction, and fiction. All entries are judged anonymously at two levels, first by district staff members then later by a community panel of judges. 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 each receive a $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. Maryanne Foley and Reg Bennett are the co-chairs of the WOCSD Literary Achievement Awards.

Standing (left to right) are the community judges for the 2019 Literary Achievement Awards: Jody Lagasse, Josh Lagasse, Ashley Toth, Brittany Maffai, Joyce Patterson, Karen Tufts, and John Madden. In the front is Diana Abbott