• ST. LOUIS, MO, May 11, 2011 –The St. Louis Public School District is pleased to recognize 13 middle school students for being honored at the Citywide 7th Grade Poetry Contest organized by Aaron Williams.  The budding SLPS poets were among 45 St. Louis City students selected as winners in this year’s contest. 

     

    Each winning poet was invited to read his/her poem at a celebration event held on May 4th.  The event was videotaped and will be replayed on STL-TV, the cable channel of the City of St. Louis, and will also be available on YouTube.  Each student received a $25 cash prize and a copy of a book containing all winning poems.  A copy of the book will also be provided to each school’s library and to every branch of the St. Louis Public Library.

     

    SLPS poetry contest winners for the 2011 Citywide 7th Grade Poetry Contest are:

     

    ·         Victoria Hartzell (Long Middle School) – “African Sunset”

    ·         Davion Bradford (Busch Middle School) – “The Girl”

    ·         Synetta Stevenson (Yeatman-Liddell Middle School) – “Life”

    ·         Taylor McNeal (Lyon @ Blow Middle School) – “Miss You”

    ·         Charnishia Burgess (L’Ouverture Middle School) – “Rain”

    ·         Emeara Burns (Carr Lane Middle School) – “Family”

    ·         Clari Brooks (Gateway Math & Science Middle School) – “A Little Ray of Sunshine”

    ·         Roderick Williams (Fanning Middle School) – “Knowledge is Power”

    ·         Demesha Mondaine (Langston Middle School) – “Salvation”

    ·         Nai’lah Sutherlin (Bunche International Studies Middle School) – “Disrespect, Misbehavior, and Nonsense”

    ·         Alexis Ackerman (Compton-Drew Middle School) – “You”

    ·         Kelly Sykes (McKinley Classical Junior Academy) – “B E A S T”

    ·         Ronald Boone (Stevens Middle School) – “Sounds and Sights”

     

    Organizer Aaron Williams said, “This event is the result of the nation’s first all-inclusive 7th grade poetry writing contest held in a major city, with invitations to participate extended to every charter, parochial, private and public school located in the City of St. Louis.  The 45 winning poems represent the welcome diversity of creativity, wisdom and emotions that 7th grade students can share with their peers and their community.”

     

    For more information about the Citywide 7th Grade Poetry Contest, please contact event organizer Aaron Williams at aaron@7thgradepoetry.org.

     

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    Pictured: Alexis Ackerman, Compton-Drew Middle School,  who was honored at the Citywide 7th Grade Poetry Contest for her poem titled “You”.