Published: May 13, 2008 03:29 am      

EDUCATION: Upson students win essay contest

Sometimes kids will say “when I grow up...” followed by what they want to be or what they want to do when they’re an adult.

Charles Upson Elementary students in Lockport had to put those thoughts into writing for the annual essay contest of the Orleans/Niagara Teacher Resource and Computer Training Center. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade wrote in three different categories: poetry, short story and essay. Six Upson students placed in the top three for their grade level, and three more won honorable mention. Fourth-grade teacher Sherry Sansone, who had two of the students in her class, said she couldn’t be more proud of them.

“It was a hard topic compared to last year’s, but they came through,” she said.

Last year’s essay theme, “The Earth is Our Home,” challenged students to write about conservation, and Charles Upson swept the top spot in all three categories for the fourth-grade level. Sansone said she felt this year’s topic was a little broader. Competition involved students from 13 school districts and several other non-public schools in the area.

Students were scored on a number of criteria, such as word choice, originality and sentence variety. Judges looked at students’ organizational skills in the writing, standard use of English and creativity. Even though their work was put under a microscope, most of the students said they competed for a reason.

“I love to write,” said fourth-grader Victoria Haak, who won the short story category.

Haak wrote about the “Future Fairy,” who shows the main character, Maddy, what her future holds. In the story, Maddy’s family was putting so much pressure on her about her future, and the future fairy showed Maddy everything would be OK.

Some of the kids said it was easy to get started with the writing, once they had an idea. First-grader Paul DiNicolantonio wrote he was going to be a professional basketball player when he grows up. His short story, which won third place for first-graders in the contest, started as an idea he had that needed some work he said.

Some kids worked together.

“We thought of books together, and we helped each other out,” said fourth-grader Robyn Hammond. She finished second in the poetry category with her piece on choosing what to be when she grows up.

Other winners include: Savannah Pencille, second place for the third-grade essay; and Taylor Mullen, third place for fifth-grade short story.

Honorable mention winners include: Daniel DiMillo for fourth-grade poetry, Patrick O’Neil for fourth-grade essay and Kimberly Benevento for fourth-grade essay. At a special ceremony at Lockport High School last week, the winners were awarded a ribbon, a certificate and a writing journal.

A few of the students said they would compete again next year. Fifth-grader Paige Currie won the short story category last year, then won the poetry competition this year. She said she’ll be back next year, possibly to finish the sweep and compete in the essay category. Mullen said she would participate in the contest again too.

Sansone said the kids would like to change categories instead of doing the same thing next year.

“They are excited about it, and they always want to try a different one,” Sansone said.

The kids have some time before they answer for real, but as far as what happens when the kids grow up, Hammond’s poem ends with a line that might be their answer now.

“And even though my growing up seems so far away,” she wrote. “I’m going through many changes every single day.”

Contact reporter Joe Olenick

at 439-9222, ext. 6241.