The 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."