Habersham County Schools celebrated winners of the Young Georgia Authors on Friday, April 19, at the Habersham Central High School Auditorium.
Dr. Jonathan Stribling, Habersham Central High School Principal, welcomed parents, grandparents, and students to the award ceremony. The contest encourages students throughout the State of Georgia to celebrate writing successes by developing a way to encourage students to use their talents and skills in a competitive writing setting.
Writings are done in the classroom and submitted to a group of judges who select those they feel have unique potential. The winners then compete in the System Level Awards which designates winners by grade.
This year, One Book Habersham author and illustrator Shanda McCloskey spoke to the students and their families about what it takes to be a published author and illustrator. She read her children’s book Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf/Editor and explained her journey to becoming an author and an illustrator.
School Level Winners:
Baldwin Elementary School: Olivia Ivester (Kindergarten), Abram Lara Mora (First Grade), Teagan Kastner (Second Grade), Minel Hasanovic (Third Grade), Ellarae Pearson (Fourth Grade), and Michael Pollard (Fifth Grade). Principal, Rodney Long, and Coordinator, Chastity Chastain.
Clarkesville Elementary School: Abigail Ford (Kindergarten), Hannah Unbehant (First Grade), Lenox Armour (Second Grade), Walter Horton (Third Grade), Ava Bryan (Fourth Grade), Bailey Reed (Fifth Grade).Principal, Georgia Pitts, and Coordinator, Brooke Stancil.
Cornelia Elementary School: Gina Perez Sebastian (Kindergarten), Daniela Solorzano (First Grade) Lionel Diego Francisco (Second Grade), Iyanah Cantrell (Third Grade), Gael Duarte Vasquez (Fourth Grade), and Elle Calderon (Fifth Grade). Principal, Dr. Darlene Hudson, and Coordinator, Tiffany Copeland.
Demorest Elementary School: Oakleigh Barrett (Kindergarten), Bo McGahee (First Grade), Elinor Miller (Second Grade), Bella Hunter (Third Grade), Skylar Mora (Fourth Grade), Hannah Scherer (Fifth Grade). Principal, Lana Jones, and Coordinator, Mary McDuffie.
Fairview Elementary School: Sophia Leyva (Kindergarten), Caroline Crane (First Grade), Kennedy Daw (Second Grade), Paisley Gunn (Third Grade), Ava Meredith (Fourth Grade), Patrick Schupp (Fifth Grade). Principal, Michelle Wilbanks, and Coordinator, Patty Tipton.
Hazel Grove Elementary School: Elle White (Kindergarten), Maximus Ricci (First Grade), Ruby Hubley (Second Grade), Rose White (Third Grade), Alondra Moreno (Fourth Grade), Katherine Knight (Fifth Grade). Principal, Dr. Tim Goss, and Coordinator, Michelle Knight.
Level Grove Elementary School: Noa Cook (Kindergarten), Sophia Phom Khamvilay (First Grade), Alaina Copeland, (Second Grade), Alex Velazquez Fraga (Third Grade), Lacey Dale (Fourth Grade), Vanessa Dean (Fifth Grade). Principal, Aimee Shedd, and Coordinator, Ashley Ivester.
Woodville Elementary School: Amelia Speed (Kindergarten), Eliza Colston (First Grade), Lucy Shumate (Second Grade), Avery Weems (Third Grade), Wiley Coston (Fourth Grade), Smanatha Akin (Fifth Grade). Principal, Dr. Bob J. Addison, and Coordinator, Stephanie Stancil.
Hillard A. Wilbanks Middle School: Kaci Barrs (Sixth Grade), Dexter Thompson (Seventh Grade), Brooklyn Thomas (Eighth Grade). Principal, Chris Chitwood, and Coordinator, Terry Jones.
North Habersham Middle School: Jaysee Chambers (Sixth Grade), Kadie Barrett (Seventh Grade), Macy Huff (Eighth Grade). Principal, Dr. Adam Bagwell, and Coordinator, Chastity Adams.
South Habersham Middle School: Hudson Garrett (Sixth Grade), Kalia Collett (Seventh Grade), and Ariana Price (Eighth Grade). Principal, Daphne Penick, and Coordinator, Kasey Nichols.
Habersham Ninth Grade Academy: Isabella Casanova and Evelyn Davis (Ninth Grade). Principal, David Leenman, and Coordinator, Kelly Burgess.
Habersham Central High School: KenzieLynn Bodiford and Zaelice Phasavang (Tenth Grade), Katie Davis and Martin Lleshi (Eleventh Grade), Georgia Kerr and Ericka Dailey (Twelfth Grade). Principal, Dr. Jonathan Stribling, and Coordinator, Deanne Carswell.
System Level Winners
The System Level Awards are selected from all the schools combined.
The winners by schools are Hazel Grove (Kindergarten), Fairview Elementary (First, Third, and Fifth) Level Grove (Second), Cornelia (Fourth), North Middle (Sixth), South Middle (Seventh and Eighth), Ninth Grade, and HCHS.
Patrick Schupp a Fifth Grader at Fairview Elementary received the overall systems winner award.
The Georgia Young Authors’ Awards are a yearly event for Habersham County Schools.
