05/20/2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 20,2022
Local K-12 Writers and Schools Win Cash Prizes – Ninth Annual Jeffco Writing Challenge & I Love to Read Contest
GOLDEN, CO, May 20, 2022
This year, nearly 1,600 Jefferson county students wrote stories and created artwork for the Jeffco Writing Challenge and I Love to Read Contests. The annual contests are sponsored by Education Nonprofit Corporation (ENC), a Golden-based nonprofit, in collaboration with Jefferson county educators.
First place contest winners will receive $100, and second, third, and honorable mention contest winners will receive $25, $15, and $10 Amazon gift cards, respectively. Winning contestants will be honored in a slide show that will be published online at enceducation.homesteadcloud.org
The number of older students participating in the writing contests continues to grow, with 895 entries coming from seventh and eight grade this year – a record for the contest. “I’m hoping this means kids who got started with the contests in elementary school are continuing into the upper grades,” said Jody Thomas, ENC volunteer.
This year’s Jeffco Writing Challenge prompts asked students to reflect on the lessons of the last year, or to imagine alternate realities and the butterfly effect. "Stories about COVID from a dog's perspective and descriptions of alternate universes are just a couple of this year's 1,594 inspiring student writing entries,” said Linda Rediger, ENC Co-Founder and Director. “At ENC we are glad to provide the opportunity for students to showcase their amazing creativity."
“I liked that this year’s prompts gave students a chance to either ponder what they’ve learned in the last year or just escape from it altogether and imagine something totally different,” said Thomas. “Writing is a great way to work through strong emotions, and the kids really responded to the opportunity with some fun writing. The I Love to Read contest (which asks students to complete the phrase “I love to read. . .” and then illustrate their sentence) also seems to have given kids a much needed creative release this year – we got some amazing artwork, much of which was about the escape that reading can provide.”
Since 2014 ENC’s Jeffco Writing Challenge (JWC) has provided writing prompts and contest prizes to Jeffco students who participate. We at (ENC) know that many students would never participate without the encouragement and guidance from you, their teachers. Our goal is to support our educators and all the work they do in literacy. We know that many teachers even write alongside their students to model strategies as they compose their contest entries.
This year, we offered teachers an opportunity to join the contest. The participating teachers will receive a $100.00 prize and the schools where they teach will each receive $500.00 donations.
Schools that will receive donations for the highest percentage of winning contest entries include the following:
First Place: $1200.00
Second Place: $1000.00
Third Place: $750.00
Honorable Mention: $500.00
JEFFCO WRITING CHALLENGE WINNERS
Kindergarten
1st - Austin Pham-Fairmount Elementary School
2nd - Beck Melton-Red Rocks Elementary School
3rd - Julia Mittman-Red Rocks Elementary School
HM - Heidi King-Red Rocks Elementary School
1st Grade
1st - Evan Dorobek-Jeffco Remote Learning Program
2nd - Isla Widder-Lukas Elementary School
2nd Grade
1st - Katherine Allen-Meiklejohn Elementary School
2nd - Lola Gonzales-Fairmount Elementary School
3rd - Kolten Exner-Red Rocks Elementary School
HM - Max Nordmann-Red Rocks Elementary School
3rd Grade
1st - Avery Bowersox-Red Rocks Elementary School
1st - Klara Daugherty-Prospect Valley Elementary School
2nd - Raelynn Gentry-Red Rocks Elementary School
2nd- Maya James-Red Rocks Elementary School
3rd - Ashim Welch -Red Rocks Elementary School
3rd - Emilia Barrera-Red Rocks Elementary School
HM - Austin Allison-Red Rocks Elementary School
HM - Jake Wood-Red Rocks Elementary School
4th Grade
1st - Mia Jacinto Nguyen-Campbell Elementary School
2nd - Elisabeth Laband-Red Rocks Elementary School
3rd - Austin Strouth-Shelton Elementary School
5th Grade
1st - Sydney Brewer-Ralston Elementary School
2nd - Grace Goman-Coronado Elementary School
3rd - Tallulah Neiberger-Woodrow Wilson Academy
6th Grade
1st - Paige Kartchner-Ken Caryl Middle School
2nd - Kaleb Jessup-Wayne Carle Middle School
3rd - Macie Richards-Rocky Mountain Academy
HM - Alysa Osman-Oberon Middle School
7th Grade
1st - Avery Haviland-Wayne Carle Middle School
2nd - Marianne Dawood-Dunstan Middle School
3rd - Madison Killcoyne-Wayne Caryl Middle School
HM - Alison Barrett-Dunstan Middle School
8th Grade
1st - Sophia Guerrero-Oberon Middle School
1st - Claira Royster-Oberon Middle School
1st - Erica Stanek-Wayne Carle Middle School
1st - Pierson Drake-Dunstan Middle School
2nd - Claire Ables-Wayne Carle Middle School
2nd - Sloane Mazotti-Oberon Middle School
2nd - Natalee Roth-Oberon Middle School
2nd - Brynleigh Schmitz-Ken Caryl Middle School
2nd - Sophie Hacke-Manning Options School
3rd - Ella Graves-Wayne Carle Middle School
3rd - Sophia Hess-Ken Caryl Middle School
3rd - Juliet Lee-Oberon Middle School
3rd - Audelia Palfy-Dunstan Middle School
HM - Sean Grohman-Oberon Middle School
HM - Jonathan Drake-Oberon Middle School
HM - Eric Funke-Oberon Middle School
HM - Allison Ives-Dunstan Middle School
9th Grade
1st - Molly Miles Wiese-Lakewood High School
2nd - Adria Adams-Compass Montessori School
10th Grade
1st - Lauren Hacke-Lakewood High School
11th Grade
1st - Kailene Tram-Bear Creek High School
2nd - Elise Jakel-Bear Creek High School
3rd - Yesenia Ruvalcaba-Bear Creek High School
3rd - Isabella Armenta-Bear Creek High School
HM - Jason Fye-Bear Creek High School
HM - Brook Auguillard-Bear Creek High School
12th Grade
1st - Jocelyn DesLauriers-Dakota Ridge High School
2nd - Angela Nienhaus-Bear Creek High School
I LOVE TO READ WINNERS
Kindergarten
1st - Sadie Fuller-Green Gables Elementary School
2nd - Ayla Marx-Green Gables Elementary School
3rd - Blakely Smith-Green Gables Elementary School
HM - Violet Loving Campos-Green Gables Elementary School
1st Grade
1st - Eleanor Nieberding-Ralston Elementary School
2nd - Lydia Brownlow-Green Gables Elementary School
3rd - Evan Dorobek-Jeffco Remote Learning Program
HM - Emeryn Gillaspie-Green Gables Elementary School
2nd Grade
1st - Charlotte Brewer-Ralston Elementary School
2nd - Ryder Seely-Kyffin Elementary School
3rd - Charlotte Seymour-Kyffin Elementary School
HM - Adelyn Haraminac-Kyffin Elementary School
3rd Grade
1st - Emmaline Zaleski-Parmalee Elementary School
2nd - Rachel Reinart-Green Gables Elementary School
3rd - Ricky Riley-Green Gables Elementary School
HM - Elliot Brewer-Ralston Elementary School
HM - Junie Yetman-Green Gables Elementary School
4th Grade
1st - Matthew Allen-Meiklejohn Elementary School
2nd - Fiona Yetman-Green Gables Elementary School
3rd - Tesla Schafer-Green Gables Elementary School
5th Grade
1st - Aisley Nicholson-Prospect Valley Elementary
2nd - Haven Enser-Rooney Ranch Elementary
3rd - Alexandra Hagar-Parmalee Elementary School
6th Grade
1st - Devyn Coble Unker-Woodrow Wilson Academy
2nd - Oriana Jager-Woodrow Wilson Academy
3rd - Olivia Ottke-Wayne Carle Middle School
HM - Aurelia Maes-Falcon Bluffs Middle School
7th Grade
1st - Madilyn Haywood-Falcon Bluffs Middle School
2nd - Kaylee Hesse-Dunstan Middle School
2nd - Gwendolyn Smith-Dunstan Middle School
3rd - Emma Lindvig-Wayne Carle Middle School
HM - Hazel Kreutzer-Wayne Carle Middle School
HM - Oliver Walvoord-Wayne Carle Middle School
HM - Avery Haviland-Wayne Carle Middle School
HM – Unpublished Name-Dunstan Middle School
HM - Acadia Charlton-Dunstan Middle School
HM - Jaeda Romero-Wayne Carle Middle School
8th Grade
1st - Kayla Cooley-Wayne Carle Middle School
2nd - Jadyn Blaser-Wayne Carle Middle School
3rd - Ashley Simard-Wayne Carle Middle School
HM - Abigail Jenson-Wayne Carle Middle School
11th Grade
1st - Mel Newsom-Bear Creek High School
Teacher Winners for The Jeffco Writing Challenge
1st - Erin Christian-Ken Caryl Middle School
2nd - Kimberly Wengrovius-Oberon Middle School
3rd - Shala Fjetland-Bear Creek High School
HM - Karlyn Carpenter-Lasley Elementary School
JWC Winning Schools - Percentage of Winners vs Enrollment
1st - Red Rocks Elementary
2nd - Oberon Middle School
3rd - Wayne Carle Middle School
3rd - Bear Creek High School
Honorable Mention - Dunstan Middle School
ILR Winning Schools - Percentage of Winners vs Enrollment
1st - Green Gables Elementary
2nd - Wayne Carle Middle School
3rd - Dunstan Middle School
3rd - Kyffin Elementary School
Honorable Mention - Falcon Bluffs Middle School
Honorable Mention - Woodrow Wilson Academy
Contact Information:
ENC
Barb Banning
P. O. Box 688
Golden, CO 80402
(720)354-1444
