A total of 74 students from the Santa Paula Unified School District were named winners of the 36th annual Young Writers’ Contest. The creative writers chose various topics to write about that included friends, family, school life, science, nature, disasters, and sports. The students’ short stories covered many genres including adventure, fantasy, horror, mystery, realistic fiction and science fiction. Poetry entries were very creative, humorous, emotional and descriptive. All of the winners were recognized during an Awards Night held at Isbell Middle School on Wednesday, May 18.
With 696 entries received from students in grades 1-8 this year, Brenda DeJamaer, coordinator of the creative writing contest and the District’s Library Education Supervisor, announced the winners in each grade level and category. All winners, from honorable mention to 1st place, received certificates. Cash prizes of $30 for each 1st place; $15 for each 2nd place; and $8 of each 3rd place were awarded. The cash prizes are possible thanks to the many contributions to the Young Writers Contest/Pat Alderson Memorial Fund.
“I enjoyed reading the entries and I am thrilled by the creativity and imagination of the students,” DeJamaer said.
Judging all of the entries was not an easy task. A total of 13 judges were asked to read, evaluate and rank each story and poem assigned to each of them.
The following judges for the contest were recognized for their time, effort, and expertise this year: Mary Schaeffer, Phyllis Dorsey, Jody Ponce, and Angela Borrego-Chavez, all retirees of the school district; Ilene Gavenman, Olivia Escoto, and Bev Mueller all from the Blanchard Community Library; Kate Caflisch from the Santa Paula High School Library; Lynn Cowell, Dan Robles, and John Robles all from the community; Pam Goranson, a published author; and Zoe Appleby, a former Young Writers’ Contest winner.
The following individuals were recognized for their assistance in preparing materials for the judges: Shannon DeJamaer Munoz, Norah Byrom, Kristyn Bennett, and Cynthia Padilla.
Special thanks was given to Rodrigo Munoz, who translated the stories that had been submitted in Spanish and Maria Aguirre who provided translation at the awards program.
DeJamaer acknowledged and thanked the individuals and groups who supported the contest including donations to the Young Writers Contest/Pat Alderson Fund by Jerry Burns and CSEA Chapter 891, Norah Byrom for compiling all winning stories and poems into booklets to be included in each of the school libraries’ collections, and to the Santa Paula Federation of Teachers for their continued support of the contest and for providing and serving refreshments to the winners and their families following the award presentations.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING 2016 YOUNG WRITERS’ CONTEST WINNERS:
GRADE 1 POETRY
1st – Fernando Zirate
“Nothing”
2nd – Annysa Cardenas
“Love is in the Air”
3rd – Ariana Jordan
“The Beach”
GRADE 1 STORY
1st – David Alvarez
“In Space”
2nd – Antonio Calderon
“Shape Shifter”
3rd – Jacqueline Zacarias
“The Little Girl Who went to the Store”
GRADE 2 POETRY
1st – Carlos Valencia
“Best Eagles”
2nd – (TIE)
-- Justine Marquez
“Summer”
-- Shaye Taylor
“The Day My Dad’s Brother Died”
3rd - Tatiana Duenas “Janelle”
GRADE 2 STORY
1st – Wesley Colborn
“My Pet Lizard Fred”
2nd – Breanna Enriquez
“The Day I Turned Into a Mermaid”
3rd – Donovan Banuelos
“Mr Book Goes to the Beach”
Hon. Men.
– Anthony Byrum
“The Night Before 2nd Grade”
GRADE 3 POETRY
1st – Andrew Figueroa
“My Tree Poem”
2nd – Tristan Hill
“My Grandpa”
3rd – Diana Ochoa
“I Love My Brother”
Hon. Men.
-- Airann Tatum
“Teacher”
-- Jacob Ordonez
“A Person”
-- Noah Ramos
“There’s Not a Hole in My Shoe”
-- Serenity Burboa
“Christmas”
GRADE 3 STORY
1st – Javier Garcia
“The Case of the Missing Book”
2nd – Emma Ruiz
“Book Adventure”
3rd – Anthony Robledo
“The Lost Ball at Dodger Stadium”
Hon Men.
– Aaron Ruiz
“The Guitar Lesson”
-- Destiny Kolbeck
“The Zebra Thief”
-- Diana Ochoa
“How Tiger Got His Stripes”
-- Heaven Martinez
“Becoming Mermaids”
GRADE 4 POETRY
1st – Giselle Guerra
“Unicorns”
2nd – Aaliyah Kendricks
“Clay”
3rd – Guadalupe Martinez
“Honey”
Hon. Men.
-- Rene Ramirez
“The Desert”
GRADE 4 STORY
1st – Serenity Hernandez
“Horrible Trip”
2nd – (TIE)
-- Angelique Lewis
“The Harbor”
-- Jazmin Guevara
“TV Trouble”
3rd – Anna Lopez
“The Worst Day Ever”
Hon. Men.
– Joshua Torres
“The Case of the Missing Toys”
-- Diego Rodriguez
“Halocrocs”
-- Ryan Garces
“The Saguaro Inn”
GRADE 5 POETRY
1st – Nathan Alaniz
“Valuables”
2nd – Peter Ramirez
“The Majestic Creature”
3rd – Janay Aguayo
“Moon”
Hon. Men.
– Valery Bazan
“A Student’s Love”
GRADE 5 STORY
1st – Grady Colborn
“Seaweed & Other Scary Stuff: a true story”
2nd – Vivian Rodriguez
“The Challenge”
3rd – Adilene Fernandez
“Thirteen Wishes”
Hon. Men.
– Peter Ramirez
“The Meteor Shower Strike”
-- Carlos McDaniel
“Chadly Hills Race”
-- Lizbeth Salas
“Going to the Past”
-- Anissa Aguilar
“My NASA Dream”
-- Valery Bazan
“The Car of Love”
GRADE 6 POETRY
1st – (TIE)
-- Jazmin Martinez
“Crimson to Violet”
-- Lizbeth Ortiz
“Ocean”
2nd – Jesus Parrilla
“Star”
3rd -- (TIE)
-- Sadrak Ivan Becerra Ortega
“Moving On”
-- Lizzet Perez
“Sister Love”
GRADE 6 STORY
1st – Jazmin Martinez
“Beginning to Hope”
2nd – Isaiah Arevalo
“Right?”
3rd – Heidi Galvan
“First Day at the Manzanar”
GRADE 7 POETRY
1st – Terricka Thach
“Life Cycle”
2nd – Natalie Rodriguez
“Labels”
3rd – (TIE)
-- Dulce Luna
“Life”
-- Amaris Carrillo
“Soccer”
GRADE 7 STORY
1st – Heriberto Sanchez
“Going North Over the Border”
2nd – Amaris Carrillo
“The Dream”
3rd – Taiz Razo
“Voices”
GRADE 8 POETRY
1st – Maria Cuevas
“The Poets Weapon”
2nd – Evelin Munoz
“Late Night Sky”
3rd – Maria Rivera
“Hatred is a Powerful Weapon”
Hon. Men.
– Marlene Martinez
“The Beach”
GRADE 8 STORY
1st – Maria Rivera
“Gold& Silver Don’t Combine”
2nd – Wilibaldo Hinojosa
“King Chronicles: Emperial Destiny”
3rd – (TIE)
-- Haley Villa
“Journey that Never Ends”
-- Anna Ramirez
“How My Life Completely Changed”
