Famous American western author Louis L’Amour once said: “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”
Starting the flow of ideas is what the Young Georgia Authors writing competition is all about: recognizing and encouraging students’ efforts in writing. For more than 20 years, the Young Georgia Authors competition has helped develop students’ interest in writing by honoring their achievements. It is open to students in all grades in a Georgia public school and is sponsored by the Georgia Council of Teachers of English with the cooperation of the Georgia Department of Education.
In Southeast Georgia, 58 original written works were submitted this year by students from school districts belonging to the Okefenokee Regional Educational Services Agency.
Six school systems participated: Atkinson, Brantley, Charlton, Coffee, Pierce, and Ware counties. Each school sent its grade winners to be judged at the district level.
“Okefenokee RESA is proud to participate in the Young Georgia Authors writing competition,” said Cindy Hitt, an ELA/SS Specialist with Okefenokee RESA in Waycross.
Students in all grades, K-12, submitted their work to the contest in hopes of making it to the statewide competition. Students first compete within their own school system, where winners are chosen and sent to their area RESA for judging. Winners from there go on to compete at the state level. Winners for the state are scheduled to be announced May 1, and they will be hosted at a recognition reception by Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods on May 10.
“Judges were impressed with the quality of writing submitted this year,” Hitt said. “Competition was tough, and we are hopeful to have another state winner.”
In fact, two of the young authors from Southeast Georgia won at state this year. Kindergartener Cole Deems of Indian Creek Elementary in Coffee County won for his entry, “Timmy The Tornado,” and Juliana Claire M. Ponciano, a seventh-grader from Waycross Middle, won for her entry, “Survivor.”
The judges at the area level include retired teachers and community members with experience working with student writing. They look for good writing that is appropriate to the grade level. Guidelines emphasize strong ideas, sequenced organization, cohesiveness, style, and good grammar. Short stories, poems, essays, and other forms of writing can be entered into the contest. No matter what the format, if it was an original written piece with no editing help from parents or teachers, it was eligible.
Winners of the Okefenokee RESA’s Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition
K
Indian Creek Elementary School
Cole Deems
“Timmy the Tornado”
1
Pearson Elementary School
Dylan Morris
“Bald Eagle”
2
Pearson Elementary School
Jovi Meeks
“There’s a Bear in My House!”
3
Patterson Elementary School
Addie Brown
“Sassy the Squirrel Learns a Lesson”
4
Midway Elementary School
Walker Sergent
“The New Knight”
5
Williams Heights Elementary School
Stella Kallay
“Ursie Ate the Solar System”
6
Ware County Middle School
Erin Meeks
“Beaten But Not Broken”
7
Waycross Middle School
Juliana Claire M. Ponciano
“Survivor”
8
Waycross Middle School
Maria Manabat
“Paintbrushes”
9
Atkinson County High School
Victoria Quinonez
“The Woman in the Walls”
10
Ware County High School
Meleah Morton
“The Intruder”
11
Atkinson County High School
Marshall Davis
“Legend”
12
Ware County High School
Darrenisha Long
“Rain”
SE-SF-0617-Ga Authors
Young Georgia Authors
By Rob Asbell
Young Writers Honored
