Dominican Juniors Receive Achievement Awards in Writing from NCTE
Meredith Kononchek ’24
Camille Truxillo ’24
The writings of St. Mary’s Dominican High School juniors Meredith Kononchek and Camille Truxillo have been selected for the 2023 Achievement Awards in Writing from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). During this school year, the students are in the English IV Advanced Placement class, taught by Dominican English teacher Ms. Casey Lefante.
Meredith Kononchek, received First Class designation and Camille Truxillo received Excellent designation. National judges evaluated writing entries for expression of ideas, language use, and unique perspective and voice. The NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing is a school-based writing program established in 1957 to encourage high school students to write and to recognize some of the best student writers in the nation. Only students who are juniors may participate. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, American schools abroad, and the Virgin Islands are eligible to nominate students for the writing program.
This year, schools nominated 360 students to participate in the Achievement Awards in Writing Program. Of that number, 114 received First Class designation, 131 Superior, 71 Excellent, and 31 Merit. Each student submitted one piece of writing. Two to three independent judges scored each submission on expression of ideas, language use, and unique perspective and voice.
Dominican Students Named Promising Young Writers by NCTE
Shanlee Raimer ’27
Riya Shah ’27
St. Mary’s Dominican High School 8th grade students Shanlee Raimer and Riya Shah have been recognized as 2023 Promising Young Writers by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Shanlee Raimer received First Class honors, and Riya Shah was awarded Superior honors. They are students in Ms. Casey Lefante’s English I Honors class.
The Promising Young Writers Program represents NCTE’s commitment to early and continuing work in the development of writing. The school-based writing program was established in 1985 to stimulate and recognize writing talents and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, Canada, and American schools abroad are eligible to nominate students.
This year, schools nominated 146 students to participate in the Promising Young Writers Program. Of those, 56 were selected to receive the First Class designation, 58 Superior, 27 Excellent, and 5 Merit. Two to three independent judges evaluated each submission holistically on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style.
NCTE is the nation’s most comprehensive literacy organization, supporting more than 25,000 teachers across the preK–college spectrum. Through the expertise of its members, NCTE has served at the forefront of every major improvement in the teaching and learning of English and the language arts since 1911.