STMS students honored for writing

Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra celebrated 14 writers from South Tahoe Middle School at the 10th annual Writing Festival.

Each grade, directed by their language arts teachers, had a prompt that they wrote to. Sixth-grade students wrote a persuasive essay on “Should Teachers Assign Homework.”.The winners were Hayden Cannon, Stella Devine, Toby Paul and Brock Cox.

Seventh-graders Zamany Loyola, Sage Smith, Lea Merrifield, Leif Ferrier and Skylar Strosky all won after writing about “Reality TV, Beneficial or Detrimental.”

Eighth grade essay winners wrote to the prompt “Whom Would you Nominate for the First Woman President?” They were Diego Uribe, Alexia Jacquez, Juan Negrete, Brody Cox and Giovana De Loia.

Awards were presented to first, second and third place in each grade, first place to honors class participants in each grade and first place in seventh and eighth grade flex classes. Each first place winner received $75, second place $50, and third place $25.

Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra promotes literacy for students in many ways. The Writing Festival is one example of encouraging middle school students to compete in the writing festival and to be recognized for their exemplary writing skills. Soroptimist has also been providing new books every June to all students K-8 for more than a decade.

— Wendy David, Youth Enrichment and Scholarship Committee co-chair Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra