2023 NCSS Literacy Days Winners

NCSS Announces Winners of District Literacy Days Competition
Posted on 02/06/2024
elementary literacy days winnersThe Newton County School System (NCSS) is pleased to announce the winners of the District Literacy Days Recitation, Drama, Read Aloud, and Ready Writing competitions held at Newton County’s Porter Auditorium.

NCSS elementary and middle schools held poetry competitions at their school and sent their grade level winners to participate in the district’s recitation contest. Competitors were judged on a number of criteria in the poetry recitation contest, including stage presence, articulation, interpretation, memory and accuracy, and difficulty of the piece.

System Recitation Contest Winners
 GRADE   WINNER   SCHOOL   POEM
 Kindergarten   Brooklyn Miller   Porterdale Elementary   If I Was a  Superhero
1st Grade   Dominic Deacon   Newton County STEAM Academy   My Next Door Neighbor is a Witch
2nd Grade   Makenzie Paster   Oak Hill Elementary   Saw My Teacher on a  Saturday
3rd Grade   Madison Bonilla   Newton County STEAM Academy   I Let My Sister Cut My Hair
4th Grade   Lizeth Gonzalez Rodriguez   Porterdale Elementary   Sick
5th Grade   Kaydence Brooks   Porterdale Elementary   Keep A-Pluggin' Away
6th Grade   Janiyah Willis   Clements Middle   The Miracle of Morning
7th Grade   Immanuel Gray   Clements Middle   Let America Be Great Again
8th Grade   Alanah Tolbert   Clements Middle   In This Place

SYSTEM READY WRITING COMPETITION WINNERS
In the Ready Writing competition, school-level champions were given a writing prompt and one hour to complete their essays. Students are scored on a rubric of six traits: ideas and content; organization; voice; word choice; sentence fluency; and conventions.

Ready Writing Winners
 GRADE   WINNER   SCHOOL   TITLE OF PIECE
 3rd Grade   Justice Johnson   Oak Hill Elementary   If I Could Change the World
4th Grade   Kassidy Gude   Porterdale Elementary   Memorable Day
5th Grade   Sara Mae Wesley   West Newton Elementary   Changing the World
6th Grade   Emerson Fray   Newton County STEAM Academy   Class Trip to the Zoo
7th Grade   Audrey Langwick-Temples   Newton County STEAM Academy   Living on Mars
8th Grade   Kyra Stewart   Newton County STEAM Academy   The Chance to Live Forever

SYSTEM READ ALOUD WINNERS
Students in kindergarten through second grade participated in the Read Aloud of Best Piece Contest in which students, with the teacher’s assistance, choose a piece from the student’s collected writings to read aloud to the judges. They were scored on topic, words, order, sentences, and articulation.

Read Aloud Winners
 GRADE   WINNER   SCHOOL   NAME OF PIECE
 Kindergarten   Raemone Shealey   West Newton Elementary   If I Was an Animal
1st Grade   Aubree Gooden   South Salem Elementary   My Three Wishes
2nd Grade   Kendall Jones   South Salem Elementary   My Three Wishes

SYSTEM DRAMA TEAM WINNERS
The Porterdale Elementary School drama team took first place honors in the K-5 drama competition with their performance of “The Story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Cast members included Sanskriti Rajput, Shanice Young, Marianna Fonfrias, Jacob Robinson, Preston Moses, Torin Petty, Skylar Hamerter, Cali Clements, Khloe Snipes, and Kylee Williams.

At the middle school level, the Veterans Memorial Middle School drama team earned first place honors with their performance of “The Incident at Midnight.” Cast members included Kayla Beason, Liam Boardman, Naomi Desrosiers-Gardner, Emily Levinte, Tayeler Maxey, Destiny Scales, and Dominique Primas.

Winners in all categories will now represent Newton County School System at the regional competition at Griffin RESA in February.

"In Newton County, we believe in nurturing not only the minds but also the creative spirits of our students,” said Shakila Henderson-Baker. “The success of our District Literacy Days Competition is a testament to the talent and dedication of our young learners. Through poetry recitation, read-aloud, and drama presentation, these students showcased their brilliance and passion for the arts. As the Chair of the Newton County Board of Education, I am proud to witness the unwavering commitment of our school district to fostering an environment that supports and celebrates artistic expression. The arts are not just extracurricular; they are essential components of a holistic education, shaping well-rounded individuals who will contribute meaningfully to our society. Congratulations to all participants, and may their artistic endeavors continue to flourish in our supportive learning community."