Grade 6 students at Queen Elizabeth School were honoured for writing award-winning essays as they took part in the Turning Points program, and received certificates and prizes at the school on June 10.
The Learning Partnership’s Turning Points program is designed to promote character awareness, resiliency and literacy among Canadian public school students through written expression.
The top essay writers included Auryn Schira, who won first place for her essay, “A Real Smile”; A.J.Bratrud, who placed second for “Scariest Ride in the Park”, and Nolan Uhren, who was third for his essay, “San Antonio, Texas”.
Honourable mentions were given to Hayden Sterling, for her essay, “The Night My Life Changed Forever”, and to Jacob Tollefson, for his essay, “Goodbye Jackson”.
A total of four schools in Southeast Cornerstone participated in the Turning Points Essay Writing Contest and these were the Grade 6 finalists.
“I was their ELA teacher for this assignment and I'm incredibly proud of the effort, emotion and skill they put into each of their pieces. They made us both laugh and cry,” said Grade 6 teacher Caitlyn Wilkinson.
The program empowers students to open up about a significant event – a turning point – in their lives that reveal the principles that guide them. With the support of their peers and teachers, students explore their values and find the confidence to write a personal essay.
Implementation of the Turning Points program correlates directly with provincial curricula for literacy and other subjects that include health and well-being, said Michael Graham, curriculum coordinator for Southeast Cornerstone School Division.
“Teachers are able to provide students with a framework for the writing of a personal narrative and to take the students through the writing process to publication. Activities are designed to create a positive classroom environment to encourage students to discuss and think critically about personal issues and values,” he explained.
At the culmination of the program, students have the opportunity to receive recognition for their writing skills and become a published author in an annual anthology of winning essays.
The Learning Partnership, which created the program, is a Canadian charity that prepares students to thrive in a diverse, connected and changing world. They leverage input from educators, business and government to deliver experiential programs for students that cultivate entrepreneurial thinking, and support social emotional learning.
