PORT ANGELES — Twenty-one students won honors in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Race Equality Essay Contest, which drew 112 essays from Port Angeles School District students.
Contest winners were honored by school district Superintendent Marc Jackson, school board member Cindy Kelly and Mayor Patrick Downie at an awards presentation ceremony Tuesday at Port Angeles City Hall.
Principals from each elementary school submitted up to five top essays for judging from each grade level.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of racial equality is a focal point for the contest.
Students were given various prompts, which ranged in difficulty according to grade level.
Kindergartners were asked to draw a picture of themselves with King and write what they would say to him.
First-graders were told to talk about how they could make their schools more fair, while second-graders were to focus on resolving conflicts with friends peacefully.
Third-graders were asked how they could set an inspirational example for others to make the playground a better place.
Fourth-grade students imagined what they would do to make the world a better place.
Fifth-graders chose character traits they admire and wrote about someone in their lives with those traits.
Sixth-grade students chose one quote from King and explained why it was important to them.
This year’s winners, including their schools and teachers, are:
Kindergarten
• First place — Logan Wyatt Botero, Franklin (Kyle Tallmadge).
• Second place — Jonah Poovey, Jefferson (Jeanne Wolfley).
• Third place — Kya Baker, Roosevelt (Molly Hibler).
First grade
• First place — Addisyn Horton, Jefferson (Kristen Lunt).
• Second place — Levi Jimenez, Jefferson (Lunt).
• Third place — Evelyn Johnson, Roosevelt (Jody Adams).
Second grade
• First place — Chloe Pearson, Hamilton (Tess Heydorn).
• Second place — Henry Zelenka, Hamilton (Kathleen Schmidt).
• Third place — Miriam Cobb, Franklin (Nancy LeBlanc).
Third grade
• First place — Nicholas Morrison, Jefferson (Evan Murphy).
• Second place — Milo Smith, Roosevelt (Erika Kuch).
• Third place — Arlo Pullara, Roosevelt (Terri Longin).
Fourth grade
• First place — Brodey Jacobs, Roosevelt (Kathryn Hartman).
• Second place — Cole Beeman, Roosevelt (Angela Mordecai-Smith).
• Third place — Liz Munro, Jefferson (Raena Young).
Fifth grade
• First place — Isabelle Felton, Dry Creek (Britney Martin).
• Second place — Lauryn Chapman, Roosevelt (Karen Doran).
• Third place — Jackson Tesreau, Franklin (Gunnar Thomason).
Sixth grade
• First place — Lillien Erlwein, Franklin (Maria Kays).
• Second place — Zackary Pierce, Roosevelt (Bill Prorok).
• Third place — Bryant Hoch, Jefferson (Jessica Bruning).
