COLUMBIA -- Seventy fifth-graders and 67 eighth grade students have been honored as this year’s district winners in the State Superintendent’s Writing Award program.
The program- sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Education for the first time this year- allows fifth and eighth grade students to express themselves through the writing process.
District winners were selected from class and school winners by a panel of readers. The 2008-09 writing prompts focused on the topic of financial literacy. The fifth-grade writing prompt was: “Discuss how saving contributes to financial well-being. Do you think it is important to start saving at your current age? Why or why not?”
Eighth graders received this topic: “Think about the current economic crisis in our country. Why is it important that every individual be responsible for personal financial decisions? How can you start learning financial responsibility at your age?”
Essays are judged on their content, development and organization, along with other elements of grammar and spelling.
“The ability to communicate in writing is absolutely crucial, whether you’re at work or at home,” State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said. “These students are developing their writing skills while thinking about critical issues that are facing our society today.”
Dr. Rex and Dr. Valerie Harrison, Deputy Superintendent for the Division of Standards and Learning, presented the winners with a plaque at a recent awards ceremony. The winners are also invited to participate in a summer writing institute to be held June 23 at Irmo Middle School.
Fifth Grade Winners:
Name | School |
Haleigh Phillips | Cherokee Trail Elementary School |
Niajet Patterson | Fairfax Elementary School |
Rachel Melton | Wren Elementary School |
Samantha Webb | Wright Elementary School |
Ashlee Brianna Fuller | Flat Rock Elementary School |
Gibson Black | Mt Lebanon Elementary School |
Kelly Schuster | Whitehall Elementary School |
Teretta Nimmons | Richard Carroll Elementary School |
Lauren Jamison | Denmark-Olar Elementary School |
Me'Khi Reed | Barnwell Elementary School |
Alex Angus | Mossy Oaks Elementary School |
Jasmine Jackson Mcllwain | Devon Forest Elementary School |
Kathleen Nicole Coker | Sandy Run Elementary School |
James Gourdine, Jr. | Pepperhill Elementary School |
Taylor Covington | Corinth Elementary School |
Brandyn Boykin | Great Falls Elementary School |
Michael James Saxton Jr. | Cheraw Intermediate School |
Da' Masha Ragin | St. Paul Elementary School |
Taylor Platt | Manning Elementary School |
Laura DiGiacomo | Edisto Beach Elementary School |
Alexis QuaShayla Brown | Brunson-Dargan Elementary School |
Selena D. Hyatt | Lake View Middle School |
Sir Darrell Andre' Mace | Latta Elementary School |
Cassidy Bates | Flowertown Elementary School |
Mahiva Patel | Johnston Elementary School |
Desta Pauling | Kelly Miller Elementary School |
Kaiya Bacote-Moore | Dewey Carter Elementary School |
Jernasia Gaskins | Main Street Elementary School |
Jessica Zimmerman | Brockington Elementary School |
Kaylin Smith | Johnsonville Middle School |
Elena Nicole Manalich | Springfield Elementary School |
Paris Lantange | Ninety Six Elementary School |
Robby Meese | Lakewood Elementary School |
Jayme Chisholm | Hardeeville Elementary School |
Hannah Plyler | Lugoff Elementary School |
Isaiah Johnson | Buford Elementary School |
Savannah Ruth Avery | E B Morse Elementary School |
Harrison Harper Fisher | Eastside Elementary School |
Nicole Simone Hickman | Dennis Intermediate |
Julia Dales | Forts Pond Elementary School |
Autumn Rena Frick | Batesburg-Leesville Elementary School |
Andrea Torres | Sandhills Intermediate School |
Tom Birdsong | Irmo Elementary School |
Brandon Tilmothy Sanders | Marion Intermediate School |
Jakaysia Dozier | Brittons Neck Elementary School |
Brittany Moore | McCormick Elementary School |
Yulissa Beleh Alvarez | Gallman Elementary School |
Jacob Smith | Northside Elementary School |
Ehime Ohue | Elloree Elementary School |
Autumn Carter | Lockett Elementary School |
Roneisha Hart | Brookdale Elementary School |
Jakob Bramblett | Crosswell Elementary School |
Tyler Gregory Turner-Clayton | Horrell Hill Elementary School |
Rhianna Smith | Lake Carolina Elementary School |
Katelyn Wheeler | Saluda Elementary School |
Sydney Davis | O P Earle Elementary School |
Morgan Hollifield | Chesnee Elementary School |
Jessie Linder | Cowpens Elementary School |
Gretchen Vaughn | Woodruff Elementary School |
John Gibbs | Berry Shoals Intermediate |
Jonathan Marron | Lone Oak Elementary School |
McKenzie K. Shearon | Pine Street Elementary |
Weston Straw | Millwood Elementary School |
Kenyanna Howard | Cherryvale Elementary School |
Reid Bailey | Monarch Elementary School |
Lauren Hemingway | D P Cooper Elementary School |
Kaitlyn Spires | Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary School |
Amanda Robinson | Clover Middle School |
Will Black | Finley Road Elementary School |
Gabrielle Hoang | Gold Hill Elementary School |
Eighth Grade Winners:
Name | School |
Mary Kelley Thomas | Wright Middle School |
Jalen Hall | Allendale-Fairfax Middle School |
Katherine Lee | Wren Middle School |
Makenzie Frost | Belton Middle School |
Braiden Leigh Burdette | Starr-Iva Middle School |
David Usry | Lakeside Middle School |
Ryan Brooks | Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School |
Raven Alexandria Woods | Blackville-Hilda Junior High School |
Jordan Burt | Williston-Elko Middle School |
Elizabeth Ward | Guinyard-Butler Middle School |
Krista Pequegnat | Beaufort Middle School |
Cameron Larkin | Hanahan Middle School |
Jakenya Lachanza Johnson | John Ford Middle School |
Erica Collenton | McClellanville Middle School |
Hannah Strong | Blacksburg Middle School |
Jocelyn Boulware | Chester Middle School |
Caleb Shuler | McBee High School |
Nyemia Lawson | Scotts Branch Intermediate School |
Nia Strothers | Manning Junior High School |
Katelynn Ackerman | Colleton Middle School |
Bradlee Katherine Suggs | Darlington Middle School |
Brittany J. Ford | Lake View High School |
Brandon Cook | Rollings Middle School of The Arts |
Ebony Johnson | Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle School |
Carilyn Reid | Fairfield Middle School |
Andrew Dempewolf | Southside Middle School |
Kristen Bowman | J Paul Truluck Middle School |
Kira Moses-Holloway | Johnson Middle School |
Alyssa Ard | Johnsonville Middle School |
Dara Alexandra Neal | Westview Middle School |
Samantha V. Johnson | Ware Shoals Junior High School |
Abigail Wrenn Adams | Edgewood Middle School |
Margaret Shelton | St James Middle School |
Amar Wilkins | Hardeeville Junior High School |
Tara Brown | Camden Middle School |
Name | School |
Kristen Melton | Buford Middle School |
Mary Kate Bartlett | Hickory Tavern Middle School |
Mandasia Danae Dillard | Bell Street Middle School |
Shaniqua Shanel Tate | Dennis Middle School |
Rose Marian Davis | Batesburg-Leesville Middle School |
Hazel Davis | Sandhills Middle School |
Supriya Juneja | Dutch Fork Middle School |
Morgan Theresa Honaker | Johnakin Middle School |
Freddricka Pressley | Creek Bridge High School |
Ashley Hill | McCormick Elementary School |
Jamie Lee Fulmer | Newberry Middle School |
Audrey Plyler | Seneca Middle School |
Deion Jamison | Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School |
Alexis Blevins | Carver-Edisto Middle School |
Bernard Mack | Bethune-Bowman Middle/High School |
Dani Durham | R C Edwards Middle School |
Tyler Edmond | St Andrews Middle School |
David Qu | Dent Middle School |
Rae Dunning | Saluda Middle School |
Jessica Rhyne | Campobello-Gramling |
Taylor Cabe | Boiling Springs Junior High School |
Mahkayla Linder | Cowpens Middle School |
Olivia Williamson | Florence Chapel Middle School |
Grayson Ford | L E Gable Middle School |
Shayla D. Slappy | McCracken Jr. High School |
Ian Lovice | Alice Drive Middle School |
Jessica Miller | Ebenezer Middle School |
Joseph Beavans | Sims Jr. High School |
Surya Boyd | Kingstree Junior High School |
Luke Lancaster | York Junior High School |
Langston Kennedy | Saluda Trail Middle School |
Elizabeth Larkin | Springfield Middle School |
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