“Being an American Essay” Contest!

The Bill of Rights Institute is now taking submissions for the second annual Being an American Essay Contest.  To learn more about the contest, download the contest packet here.  The top three winners and their teachers from each region will receive a cash prize of $5,000. The second and third place winners and their teachers from each region will receive prizes of $2,500 and $1,250 respectively.   WOW!

For more information, resources, and helpful hints on writing an award-winning essay, go to http://www.beinganamerican.org/index.html and click on the “For Students” links at the top of the page.  You may submit your entry to any English or Social Studies teacher; you may also submit entries to Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Fleet in the library.  Entries should be submitted to teachers by Friday, November 30 so that your teacher has time to upload the entries by the national deadline.  Thanks!

PTA Reflections Contest 2007: “I Can Make a Difference By…”

National PTA Reflections Program

National PTA believes all children deserve a quality arts education and encourages students to pursue artistic expression through participation in its annual arts Reflections Program. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students in preschool through grade 12 are encouraged to create and submit works of art in one or more of six areas: literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts (which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage), dance choreography and film/video production. In its more than 30-year history, the program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create works of art.

Visit National PTA’s 2006-2007 Reflections Gallery - Georgia won four of the six Outstanding Interpretation awards.Students participate in the Reflections Program by submitting entries to their local PTA or PTSA. Any PTA/PTSA in good standing is eligible to sponsor a Reflections Program.  For more information, go to http://www.georgiapta.org/resources-student-reflections.html .

2007-2008 Reflections Information and Forms

• Reflections Official Entry Form
• Reflections General Student Participation Rules
• Reflections Literature Rules
• Reflections Musical Composition Rules
• Reflections Photography Rules
• Reflections Visual Arts Rules
• Reflections Dance/Choreography Rules
• Reflections Film/Video Production Rules
• Reflections Rules (Spanish version)
• Reflections Georgia PTA Specific Rules
• Reflections Georgia Special Artist Information and Entry Form
• Reflections Theme Search Form
• Reflections Poster

 All entries must be submitted to Mrs. Fleet or Mrs. Hamilton in the library by 3:30 on October 31.

Letters About Literature Contest: Win Prizes for Yourself and $10,000 for CRHS!

Do you love reading?  Check out the Letters About Literature Contest!

To enter, entrants must write a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Students can select authors from any genre—fiction or nonfiction, contemporary, or classic. Sponsored by the Library or Congress’s Center for the Book and Target Stores, the reading and writing competition is open to kids in grades four through 12.

Judges representing each state will select the top essayists in three competition levels: Level I for readers in grades four through six; Level II for readers in grades seven and eight; and Level III for readers in grades nine through 12. Entries will be assessed according to three criteria: the writer’s ability to address the content theme, language skill, and style and originality.

State winners will receive a $50 Target gift card and will advance to the national competition. A panel of judges from the Center for the Book will select six national winners (two per competition level) and 12 national runners-up (four per competition level).

Each national winner will receive a $500 Target gift card and a Reading Promotion Grant of $10,000 for their school or community library—and have say in how the library funds will be spent. Each national runner-up will receive a $100 Target gift card and a Reading Promotion Grant of $1,000 for his or her school or community library.

The deadline for entries for the contest is December 14. To obtain a required entry coupon and a copy of “how to enter” guidelines, participants can visit the Letters About Literature Web site at www.loc.gov/letters or contact the national program director at lal@epix.net.