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SJIHM continues honoring young poets
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The first-place winners in the Young Author's competition received a book of all the winning poems and gift certificates to Chuck E. Cheese. Because their poems were read when they won their prize, many of the authors also had their works debuted to the public for the first time. The first-place winners were, from left, (front) Erik Vargo, Morgan Rolley, Brooke Buffington, and Derek Philips; (back) Kaitlyn Cefalde, Maria Santana, Andrea Karabin, Erin Styka, and Renee Seebacher.
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The contest's second-place winners also had a lot to smile about after their awards. The winners included, from left, (front) Lily Carlson, Lindsey Varso, Colgan Knox, Jacob Shumaker, and Riley Burke; (back) John Hintz, Leo Puhalla, Tiffany Aliberti, and Michael Chizmar.
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The Young Author's third-place winners gathered for a celebratory photo after their win. The champions included, from left, (front) Evan Madison, Olivia Puhalla, Patrick Faloon, and Justin Reedy; (back) Kailee Putteet, Dominic Mashiska, Andrew Siembieda, Glyn Roberts, and Alyssa Armstrong.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .During St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary's young authors assembly on Feb. 11, winning poets were welcomed onstage and given a congratulatory handshake by principal John Rozzo (left). Eighth grade third place winner Alyssa Armstrong (right) was happy to take her prize.
By SARAH FOOR
At St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary’s Young Authors assembly on Feb. 11, poets of all grades and skill levels were celebrated for their unique skills with the written word.
The Young Author’s event was a project of former Immaculate Heart teacher Beverly Dutko, who created the event in 1996 and stressed to her students the importance of writing and self-reflection through words.
Eighth-grade teacher Kathleen Villella now plans the poetry event.
“Our dear friend, Bev, died five or so years ago now, and we’ve continued the program because it was her passion, and the school’s as well,” Villella explained.
The assembly hit a snag last year, getting lost during the busy first year of the Austintown Catholic schools merger. “In the year we took off, I had so many parents asking if the program would continue. It’s a very important event to our school, and we think the event came back stronger and better than ever this year,” Villella shared.
Before the Feb. 11 event, YSU graduate assistants Kathryn Johnston, Sarah Lowry, Annie Murray and Caitlyn Ryan judged the poems of SJIHM students in every grade level from kindergarten to eighth grade. The school’s English department read each winning poem and gave each winner a trophy, a book of the winning works and a gift certificate to Chuck E. Cheese.
The poems were diverse and explored many deep subjects. Justin Reedy’s poem explained love as “smelling like a cherry right out of the jar, like lips on my cheek.”
Eighth-grade first-place winner Erin Styka explored the stars and cosmos in her winning poem, while kindergartner Brooke Buffington’s first-place winning poem was “The frog was on a log.”
SJIHM principal John Rozzo told his students to always express themselves.
“I hope this event has helped you learn to write how you are feeling,” he shared. “People will understand you on a deeper level that way.”