WRITE-ON, SHANE!

Congratulations to Shane Souders for being selected to compete at the state level competition for Power of the Pen, a creative writing competition. Shane, along with Julia Esquivel and Caleb Brough, represented Fostoria schools at the regional levels of the competition.  He performed "With Honors" at the regional competition held at Lourdes University in Sylvania.  The state competition and conference will take place May 23 and 24 at Wooster College. " Write-On, Shane!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Three Fostoria Junior/Senior High School students were recognized on April 20, 2013, for their achievement in the "Letters About Literature" (LAL) contest sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Ohio's awards ceremony was held at the Cleveland Public Library. Students were asked to write letters to authors for books, poems, or nonfiction material that had made an impact on their lives. It is unique in that it is a contest of the mind and heart -- a reading and writing contest that engages every iota of a student's command and understanding of the written word and tests his or her ability to "give life" to thoughts and feelings.

 

Ohio had 1,360 students (grades 4-10) participate in the LAL contest. Of those, 82 were from Level III for 9th and 10th graders; 22 of them made it to the final round of judging, including the three FJSHS students!

 

Ninth grader Logan Schackelford placed 3rd in Ohio for his letter to David Wright on his edition of Beowulf. Hariket Bilodiya was a semifinalist for his letter to Lois Lowry for her book, The Giver, while Isabel King's letter to Catherine Ryan Hyde for Pay it Forward, also earned her recognition as a semifinalist.  All three are students in Amy Baxter's Honors English 9 class.

 

Mrs. Baxter has had students participate in the LAL contest in the past, but never had anyone recognized. "It was a pleasure for me to read their letters when I assigned this project since it gave me an insight into actual connections students make with books they read. Some chose to write about old favorites, while others responded for books read in class. I was even more excited when I received the emails notifying me of their success!"