“Power of the Pen empowers students to find their voices through creative expression while building essential writing skills and self-confidence. By encouraging them to share their stories, we send a message that is vital for every young writer: We are listening,” Leis said.
This round included Clark County’s Global Impact STEM Academy, Kenton Ridge Middle School, Ridgewood School, Shawnee Middle School and Southeastern Local Schools, Champaign County’s Graham Middle School, as well as McKinney Middle School, The Miami Valley School, Tippecanoe Middle School, Twin Valley South Middle School and Weisenborn Middle School.
The top 8th grade teams were from Shawnee, Graham and Ridgewood schools.
The top 8th grade writers were Adelyn Guidera and Moxie Evilsizor, Graham; Jackson Axtell, The Miami Valley; Avalyn Sellman, Ridgewood; and Ellie Dorton, Shawnee.
The top 7th grade teams were The Miami Valley, Shawnee Middle and Ridgewood schools.
The top 7th grade writers were Roman Zehringer and Cali Sevitts, Tippecanoe; Leila Juvina and Aashi Desai, The Miami Valley; and Matthew Comer, Ridgewood.
Leis said there is a “unique magic” in a 40-minute writing round.
“These students aren’t just writing; they are testing their own limits. It proves that despite the digital noise surrounding them, middle schoolers are still capable of something profoundly human: creating deep, original, and handwritten stories,” she said.
The first district tournament, sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Dayton, was held at Jacob Coy Middle School and included Clark County’s Tecumseh Middle School, as well as Ankeney Middle School, Bethlehem Lutheran School, Jacob Coy Middle School, Oakwood Junior High, St. Albert the Great, St. Charles Borromeo, Van Buren Middle School, Versailles Middle School and West Carrollton Middle School.
The top 8th grade teams were Versailles, Tecumseh and St. Charles Borromeo schools.
The top 8th grade writers were Victoria Smith, Tecumseh; Wren Taylor, Eleanor Sutter and Claire Poeppelman, Versailles; and Sienna Pilkington, Jacob Coy.
The top 7th grade teams were Oakwood, Tecumseh and Ankeney schools.
The top 7th grade writers were Quinn Henderson, Van Buren; Sadee Morris and Avery Hamilton, Tecumseh; Aletheia Florea, Bethlehem Lutheran; and Thuslasi Muthappan, Oakwood.
Leis explained there are two district tournaments to accommodate the number of writers who want to participate. The district rounds identify qualifiers for regionals, which are the top 50% of writers at each district tournament. The prompts, sponsors, locations and dates are different to provide multiple opportunities for the schools.
The regional tournament is scheduled for March 14, with 50 seventh and 50 eighth grade writers from 21 schools in eight counties planning to attend at Shawnee Middle School.
Special awards at regionals will include best of rounds, director’s choice, sweepstakes trophy, outstanding teacher, Randy Kramer for writing excellence, and Sarah T. Landess outstanding teacher.
Qualifying writers from 18 district tournaments held across Ohio advance to the nine regional events, where about 20% of students move on to the state tournament. Competitions consist of three timed rounds of creative writing tasks per grade level, each in response to an open-ended prompt. Judges evaluate the students’ work to identify the winners who are recognized in an awards ceremony.
“By the time the tournaments begin, these young writers have spent months polishing their creative writing skills under the guidance of a Power of the Pen coach, and the competition is their chance to shine,” Leis said.
Any school can register to participate in Power of the Pen. Registration generally opens at the beginning of September, with early bird pricing through mid-October. Schools usually register in teams, but they don’t have to have a complete team (six students per grade level) to register.
The Western Region of Power of the Pen includes Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Logan, Miami, Montgomery, and Preble counties.
Power of the Pen works to positively impact the state’s middle schoolers by helping them find and develop their own unique and creative voice. It gives students a platform to share their stories, building confidence in their writing and develop leadership abilities.
For more information, visit powerofthepen.org.
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