Health & Fitness
UCS students awarded for their optimism
Three Utica Community Schools students won the top prizes in the 2013 Shelby Township Optimist International Club's 2013 essay contest.
Three Utica Community Schools students won the top prizes in the 2013 Shelby Township Optimist International Club’s 2013 essay contest:
- First place, $250 – Brianna Smith, Monfort Elementary sixth grader
- Second place, $150 – Cristina Li, Heritage Junior High and Utica Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology ninth grader
- Third place, $100 – Samantha Koneval, Monfort Elementary fifth grader
Students under age 19 from across the area were invited by Optimist International to develop and express their own ideas on the topic “How Can I Help My Friends Realize Their Value?”
The project was school-wide at Monfort Elementary, where 680 students submitted their essays, said school principal Karen Zimmerman.
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Based on the merit of their writings, 28 Monfort students in kindergarten through sixth grade each received award certificates and $10 Barnes & Noble gift cards from the school.
According to Optimist rules, the essays were limited to 800 words and evaluated on a point system in areas such as content and organization; vocabulary and style; grammar, punctuation and spelling; neatness and other criteria.
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As the Club’s first place winner, Smith’s essay was submitted for Optimist International district competition and an opportunity to win the $2,500 college scholarship offered as first prize.
Judging from the following excerpt from her work, Smith has more than captured the true ideals of friendship. She wrote, “The little acts of kindness you do for your friends will make them feel joyful and happy to know that you would take time to help them. If a friend does a small act of kindness for you in return, it will make them feel good and valuable as a friend.”
“Writing helps students build their foundations for college and career readiness,” said Zimmerman, adding that they are learning to use writing as a wayof presenting and supporting opinions, demonstratingunderstanding of the subjects they are studying andconveying real and imagined experiences and events.
