Last Saturday was National Grammar Day and the end of a fantastic Read Across America Week, so it made for the perfect day to host the 37th Annual Nan Rushing Write-off sponsored by Barr Law Offices, LLC of Statesboro. While individuals from all four of the district’s middle schools could be found among each category’s individual winners, it was Southeast Bulloch Middle School who won the overall grade level (6-8) and team trophies.
Students from Southeast Bulloch Middle School, Portal Middle High School, Langston Chapel Middle School and William James Middle School competed as individuals in eight English language arts categories including capitalization/punctuation, mental concentration, persuasive speech, narrative writing, persuasive writing, vocabulary, spelling, and usage/language expression. Their scores and placements earned points for overall school team scores. Awards were given to the top two scoring individuals for each grade level (sixth, seventh, eighth) in each category, for each overall grade level team, and the overall winning school. The event was coordinated by Jessica Blanton, an English teacher at Southeast Bulloch, with assistance from other middle school language arts teachers across the district.
The competition was started in 1985 by then language arts teacher Nan Rushing, who had received a $1,000 mini-grant from the school system to begin a writing event in Nevils. Now 94, Rushing, remains part of the annual competition’s awards ceremony.
“Thank you for taking your Saturday morning to compete in English language arts,” Rushing said as she spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of parents, students, and teachers gathered in Southeast Bulloch High School’s auditorium. “This competition reminds me how important language arts is.”
Of the 10 mini-grants awarded in 1985, by former School Superintendent Ed Wynn, the Nan Rushing Write-off and the Penny Sikes Math Tournament are the two remaining programs that have stood the test of time and offered a valuable tool for encouraging students in math and language arts.
This Year’s Winners:
Persuasive Speech: Front Row middle (L-R) Sixth Grade – Caden Kruen, 1st place, Southeast Bulloch; Noah Williams, 2nd place, William James; Back Row – Eighth Grade – Dane Gardner, 1st place, Southeast Bulloch; Seventh Grade – Savannah Gordon, 1st place, Southeast Bulloch; Eason Mallard, 2nd place, Portal Middle High School; and Eighth Grade: Kaylin Warren, 2nd place, Portal Middle High / Bulloch Co Schools
Narrative Writing: Front Row (L-R) Sixth Grade: Evan Mackelprang, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Zoey Lanier, 2nd, Portal; Back Row: Eighth Grade: Emma Hilde, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Seventh Grade: Anna Claire Newman, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Janie Cowan, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Eighth Grade: Anna Adams, 2nd, William James / Bulloch Co Schools
Persuasive Writing: Front Row (L-R) – Seventh Grade: Sienna Fox, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Grace Landers, 2nd, William James; Sixth Grade: Kenzie Brown, 1st, Portal; Madelyn Williams, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Back Row: Eighth Grade: Lorelei Prosser, 1st, William James; Katielyn Yates, 2nd, Portal. / Bulloch Co Schools
Vocabulary: Front Row (L-R) – Eighth Grade: Madison Holmes, 2nd, William James; Seventh Grade: Austin Wheaton, 2nd, William James; Riley Ellis, 1st Place, Southeast Bulloch (Not Pictured); Eighth Grade: Justine Wu, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Sixth Grade: Lawson Boyles, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; James Braddock, 2nd, William James. / Bulloch Co Schools
Usage & Language Expression: Front Row (L-R) – Seventh Grade: Mia Kersey, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Sierra Skrak, Langston Chapel; Sixth Grade: Hanna Hodges, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Lucas Pryor, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Back Row: Eighth Grade – Ellie Branch, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Ohm Pandya, Southeast Bulloch / Bulloch Co Schools
Spelling: Front Row (L-R): Seventh Grade: McKenzie Pedersen, 1st, Langston Chapel; Emily Johnson, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Sixth Grade: Daniel Choi, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; James Braddock, 2nd, William James; Back Row: Eighth Grade: Justine Wu, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Ashley Avera, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch / Bulloch Co Schools
Capitalization & Punctuation: Front Row (L-R) – Seventh Grade: Chaeyeong Oh, 1st, William James; Sandra Ngatia, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Sixth Grade: Parker Perryman, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Miles Threatt, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Back Row: Eighth Grade – Ashley Avera, 1st, Southeast Bulloch; Ellie Branch,2nd, Southeast Bulloch. / Bulloch Co Schools
Mental Concentration: Front Row: (L-R) – Seventh Grade: Chaeyeong Oh, 1st, William James; Ella Brady, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Sixth Grade: Natalie Hendrix, 1st, Portal; Daniel Davtyan, 2nd, Southeast Bulloch; Back Row: Eighth Grade – Owen Purcell, 1st, Portal; Phoebe Hansen, 2nd, Langston Chapel / Bulloch Co Schools
Nan Rushing, 94, (left) chats with Simone Lane, a gifted teacher from William James Middle School, prior to Saturday’s awards ceremony. / Bulloch Co Schools
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