YOUNG AUTHORS PROGRAM

Coordinated by Mary Payne Coblin, Librarian and Ellee Harp, 4th Grade Teacher

Capital Day School students participate each year in the Courier-Journal Young Authors’ Program that is designed to make writing a real life experience for elementary and middle school students. Students write and publish original stories according to guidelines provided on The Courier-Journal website. This program provides an avenue for authentic assessment of writing skills as well as a “celebration of writing.” The website provides writing, revising, and editing information in addition to winning stories from the previous year.

Capital Day School has a distinguished history of achievement in this program. We have had three state winners in the past four years. In 2003, Olivia Estill won the fifth grade division. Leah Bird won the second grade division in 2004, and Aubrey Reid won in the fifth grade division in 2005.

In mid December the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade Language Arts students started reviewing program guidelines and reading past winning stories. Students used their English class time to write their first drafts, and then students took their stories home to read to family members. After an intensive week of revision, students submitted their published stories on February 8th. Students and teachers in other grades followed their own writing and publishing schedules.

The CDS school winners for 2008 are:

1st Grade

1st - Cameron Hurst    "Me and Max"
2nd - Lora Stone         "Lora and the Mermaid"
3rd - Sara Tahanasab  "My Fourth Christmas"

2nd Grade

1st - Eman Amawi        "The Horse Charm"
2nd - Myles Stumbo    "A Karate Winner"
3rd - Emma Boebinger "Girls and Babies"
         Meg Phillips        "My Birthday Party"

3rd Grade

1st - Natalie Hardy       "The Lost Kitten"
2nd - Antonia Stulz       "Christmas at the North Pole"
3rd - Samuel Gray        "The Ghosts and the Warp of Aliens"

4th Grade

1st - Emily Dahl            "A Scary Trail Ride"
2nd - Izzy Ransdell        "The Cat That Got Kidnapped"
3rd - Jamie Jordan        "Cappy and Jack"

5th Grade

1st - Eliza Gray            "Disbelief"
2nd - Andrew Bates    "Don't Judge a Cave by Its Cover"
3rd - Emily Ellis             "Coast to Coast"

6th Grade

1st - Alex Sandefur       "BFF"
2nd - Olivia Coles        "Broken"
3rd - Klay Kinman        "Escape"

7th Grade

1st - Josh Young          "A Fork in the Road"
2nd - Nag Alluri           "The Path of Vengeance"
3rd - Jill Dahl                "Amber's Wrangler"

8th Grade

1st - Aubrey Reid        "Jenny's Secret"
2nd - Michael Fleck    "Macabre"
3rd - Kelsey Burnett    "Twice"