{"id":202482,"date":"2016-04-26T13:23:06","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T17:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=202482"},"modified":"2023-08-08T13:25:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T17:25:53","slug":"neag-school-announces-state-of-connecticuts-letters-about-literature-contest-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2016\/04\/neag-school-announces-state-of-connecticuts-letters-about-literature-contest-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"Neag School Announces State of Connecticut\u2019s Letters About Literature Contest Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Neag School of\u00a0Education\u00a0is proud to announce Connecticut\u2019s winners of the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.read.gov\/letters\/\">23rd annual Letters About Literature contest<\/a>, a nationwide writing contest sponsored by the Library of Congress for elementary, middle, and high school students.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3504 alignright img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.education.uconn.edu\/aurora\/neag\/2015\/10\/Letters-about-Literature-image_theme-400x181.jpg\" alt=\"Theme Letters About Literature\" width=\"400\" height=\"181\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/181;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This fall, the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/2015\/11\/03\/neag-school-selected-as-connecticut-sponsor-for-library-of-congress-national-letters-about-literature-contest\/\">Neag School\u00a0served as the contest\u2019s Connecticut sponsor<\/a>\u00a0for students in Grades 4-12;\u00a0Professor Wendy Glenn\u00a0is\u00a0the contest\u2019s\u00a0faculty representative for the state of Connecticut.<\/p>\n<p>Winners from each state for each of contest\u2019s three categories (Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12) will receive a cash prize and state recognition, \u00a0and will then advance to the national competition, for which winners will be chosen later this month. Read more about the contest\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/s.uconn.edu\/NeagLAL\">here<\/a>, and\u00a0click the winners\u2019 names below to read their winning essays.<\/p>\n<h3>Congratulations to the\u00a0winners for the state of Connecticut:<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13000\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13000\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13000 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/Aleema-Kelly-and-David-Adamson-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Aleema Kelly\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/300;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13000\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aleema Kelly, Connecticut\u2019s Letters About Literature first-place winner for Level I, celebrates with teacher David Adamson.\u00a0<em>(Photo courtesy of CREC Montessori Magnet School)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4><strong><u>Level I (Grades 4-6)<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First place:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/1.1Kelly.pdf\" rel=\"\">Aleema Kelly<\/a>, CREC Montessori Magnet School, Hartford, Conn. \u2014 Essay based on<em>\u00a0George<\/em>\u00a0by Alex Gino<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second place:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/1.2Boutot.pdf\" rel=\"\">Rhiana Boutot<\/a>,\u00a0Pleasant Valley Elementary, Groton, Conn. \u2014<em>\u00a0<\/em>Essay based on<em>\u00a0Wonder<\/em>\u00a0by R.J. Palacio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13073\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13073\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13073 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/Amy-DAnna-and-En-Hua-Holtz-400x267.jpeg\" alt=\"En-Hua Holtz\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/267;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13073\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">En-Hua C. Holtz, who won first place for Level I in Connecticut\u2019s Letters About Literature Contest, celebrates with Amy D\u2019Anna.\u00a0<em>(Photo courtesy of East Lyme Middle School)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4><strong><u>Level II (Grades 7-8)<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First place:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/2.1Holtz.pdf\" rel=\"\">En-Hua C. Holtz<\/a>,\u00a0East Lyme Middle School, East Lyme, Conn. \u2014\u00a0Essay based on<em>\u00a0Diary of a Young Girl<\/em>\u00a0by Anne Frank<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second place:<\/strong>\u00a0Charlotte Watts,\u00a0Sage Park Middle School, Windsor, Conn. \u2014 Essay based on<i>\u00a0Someone Named Eva<\/i>\u00a0by J.M. Wolf<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong><u>Level III (Grades 9-12)<\/u><\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First place:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/3.1Tofan.pdf\" rel=\"\">Julia Tofan<\/a>, RHAM High School, Hebron, Conn.\u00a0\u2014 Essay based on \u201cStill I Rise,\u201d by Maya Angelou<i><\/i><\/li>\n<li><strong>Second place:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/3.2Horowitz-Benoit.pdf\" rel=\"\">Rachel Horowitz-Benoit<\/a>, E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, Conn. \u2014 Essay based on\u00a0<em>Prep<\/em>\u00a0by Curtis Sittenfeld&nbsp;<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13002\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13002\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13002 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/Rachel-Horowitz-Benoit-and-Liza-Escott-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Horowitz-Benoit\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/300;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13002\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rachel Horowitz-Benoit, who won second place for Level III in Connecticut\u2019s Letters About Literature contest, is congratulated by teacher Liza Escott.\u00a0<em>(Photo courtesy of E.O. Smith High School)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thank you to the Neag School\u2019s contest judges:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ashley Bernardo<\/li>\n<li>Victoria Breen<\/li>\n<li>Emma Czaplinski<\/li>\n<li>Gigi DiGiuseppe<\/li>\n<li>Sarah Falcetti<\/li>\n<li>Hillary Gannon<\/li>\n<li>Ricki Ginsberg<\/li>\n<li>Wendy Glenn<\/li>\n<li>Sara Goss<\/li>\n<li>Brittany Handahl<\/li>\n<li>Barbara Jennes<\/li>\n<li>Danielle King<\/li>\n<li>Kaleigh Kupstis<\/li>\n<li>Kaitlin Murphy<\/li>\n<li>Rebecca Pite<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13158\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13158\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13158 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/Julia-Tofan-and-Wendy-Glenn-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Julia Tofan, who won first place for Level III in Connecticut's Letters About Literature contest, is congratulated by Wendy Glenn, coordinator of the Connecticut contest. (Photo courtesy of RHAM High School)\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/400;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13158\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Julia Tofan, who won first place for Level III in Connecticut\u2019s Letters About Literature contest, is congratulated by Wendy Glenn, coordinator of the Connecticut contest. (Photo courtesy of RHAM High School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13478\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13478\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13478 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/Rhiana-Boutot-and-Lizanne-Johnson-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Rhiana Boutot\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/400;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13478\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rhiana Boutot, Connecticut\u2019s Letters About Literature second-place winner for Level I, celebrates with teacher Lizanne Johnson. (Photo courtesy of Pleasant Valley Elementary School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13535\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13535\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13535 size-medium img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/education.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1621\/2016\/04\/Charlotte-Watts-and-Shirley-Cowles1-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"Charlotte Watts and Shirley Cowles[1]\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/400;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13535\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charlotte Watts, Connecticut\u2019s Letters About Literature second-place winner for Level II, celebrates with Shirley Cowles. (Photo courtesy of Sage Park Middle School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Neag School of Education is proud to announce Connecticut\u2019s winners of the 23rd annual Letters About Literature contest, a nationwide writing contest for elementary, middle, and high school students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2424,1855],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1878],"class_list":["post-202482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-neag-community-engagement","category-neag"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-11 07:12:39","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202482"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202483,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202482\/revisions\/202483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202482"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=202482"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=202482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}