Et cetera : More than 160 students participate in VFW Auxiliary Essay Contest

Our VFW Ladies Auxiliary 8884 of Vinton held our Essay Contest at Vinton-Shellsburg Elementary schools. The teachers did a great job working with the students on writing their essays. The students wrote them on their own but the teachers explained the themes for each grade. This is our third year to do this. Our first year we had 35 students; last year we had 80 students and this year we had 167 students. The grades involved were 3rd grade(62 students); 4th grade(96) students; and 5th grade(9) students. Their themes were: 3rd grade-"I love America Because", 4th grade--"What Freedom Means to me", and 5th grade--"What The Constitution of The United States of America Means to me". The students did a great job!!!! Thank you to my judges who included many people from our community. The 1st place essays in each grade goes onto District competition, and those 1st place winners go on to the Iowa Department competition. We will know the Department winners in January. After the first of the year we will go back into the schools and present all students with an award. The top seven students gets a medal. Others will receive ribbons, certificates. We will have results after the first of the year and will post it on here. -- Jeanette Henry-VFW Ladies Auxiliary 8884-President