Area youth writers invited to compete in contest
All middle school students in Hays Consolidated Independent School District--which serves both Buda and Kyle—have a chance to win a $500 gift card by entering a writing contest sponsored by Monarch Utilities, a subsidiary of SouthWest Water Company that provides water in Hays County. In previous years, the contest was offered solely at Chapa Middle School, but this year, it’s open to middle schools district-wide.
Winners will be recognized by SouthWest Water Company with the following prizes:
• One winner from each school will receive a $100 Visa gift card.
• The grand prize winner will receive a $500 Visa gift card.
• The winning essay will be published in the Hays Free Press.
“We’re excited to bring this opportunity to even more Central Texas middle school students this year,” Gary Rose, director of operations, SouthWest Water Company, Texas Utilities, said. “We’re always pleased with how creatively students share their opinions, ideas and thoughts about water-related topics.”
The SouthWest Water Company writing contest is open to all current students in sixth through eighth grades attending Barton, Chapa, Dahlstrom, McCormick, Simon or Wallace Middle School. Students may submit either an expository essay discussing the importance of water in their life, the community and the world today, or an expository essay exploring an issue related to water conservation in the modern world. Essays will be scored anonymously by a panel of English/Language Arts teachers.
“We’re excited that SouthWest Water Company has expanded the contest district-wide this year,” Adrienne Rusk, Hays CISD coordinator of secondary English, language arts and reading (ELAR), said. “This has been a wonderful opportunity for students over the past few years at Chapa Middle School (where SouthWest Water provides water) and now we’re glad that students from all of our middle schools will get the opportunity to practice their writing skills in a fun and challenging way.”
Writing submissions must be sent to [email protected] by Tuesday, May 22 at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced the week of May 28.
For more information on the contest, including rules and writing prompts, visit: www.swwcwritingcontest.com.
