Calliaqua Anglican School emerges winner of 2015 Grade 6 Writing Competition

Having won the preliminary round of this year’s Grade 6 Writing Competition, Donya Lucas, of the Calliaqua Anglican School, also fended off stiff competition to scoop the top spot at last week’s finals.

Elated, and quietly confident, at her win, 11-year-old Lucas {{more}}emerged triumphant against nine other students at the finals, which was held on Friday, April 24, at Frenches House.

Lucas’s winning topic was ‘Your mom comes into your messy room. Describe what she sees, and her reaction’.

Second place was awarded to 11-year-old Jaynika Williams, of the Questelles Government School; and 11-year old Danielson Ferguson, of the Kingstown Preparatory School, took third place.

Williams and Ferguson both wrote on the topic ‘Paco is a young vagrant who lives on the streets of Kingstown. Describe him’.

At the finals, senior education officer (primary schools) Elizabeth Walker congratulated the students on their success, and urged their parents and teachers to continue supporting them in the development of their writing skills.

“It is our expectation that this platform will serve as a nurturing bed for some of the most powerful composers in this land,” she opined.

“I see our future publishers, journalists, [and] composers of powerful and mind-boggling poems, calypsos and other genres of writing.”

Hosted by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Hodder Education, the annual competition is intended to provide “literary expression and creativity among our youths by celebrating excellence and imagination”.

Albena Jack, Education Officer with responsibility for Language, Literacy and Communication, also gave brief remarks – expressing how pleased she was that writing is being given this much needed boost, as it is one of the “grossly undervalued” strands of the language arts within primary schools.

“Writing is one of the strands that suffered in the primary schools. We are, therefore, thankful for the CPEA, which has added an internal component to the overall assessment of students of Grade 6.”

Jack also urged teachers and parents to continue exposing students to all the genres of writing to “promote mastery in these areas”.

Also present was Byron Wilson, Hodder Education representative, who explained that as a “relatively new” entity within the region, Hodder Education is “excited” to be working with the various stakeholders to “further develop education in the region”.

The other finalists in this year’s writing competition were Bernique Haynes, of the Barrouallie Government School; Davon Ellis, of the Spring Village Methodist School; Donte Sam, of the Georgetown Government School; Zaida Davis, of the Marriaqua Government School; Jonoliah John, of the Lowmans Leeward Anglican School; Makedda Miguel, of the Clare Valley Government School; and Paige Cadogan, of the Windsor Primary School.(JSV)