Press Release: 04-20-2012

Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60 is pleased to announce the elementary and middle school winners of its annual Young Authors literary competition. The following students and their families will travel to Illinois State University on May 19, to represent District 60 at the 38th annual Illinois Statewide Young Authors’ Conference.

1st Grade- Mia Hernandez, Cooke, “The Robin”
2nd Grade- Leah Peterson, Cookem “The New Detective in Town”
3rd Grade- Kely Olivia-Torres, Little Fort, “Friendship”
4th Grade- Leslie Bedolla-Rosiles, Glenwood, “The Power of the Peach/ El Poder del Duranzo”
5th Grade- Marianne Chuy, Cooke, “The Secret Organization”
6th Grade- Jessica Linares, Jefferson, “I Stand Alone”
7th Grade- Katrina Lutka, Jefferson “Leap”
8th Grade- Brianna Abrego, Abbott, “The Miracles”

Also winning at his grade level, but will not attend the conference, is kindergartner Aziz Hussaini, of Glenwood Elementary School, whose manuscript was titled "A Frog Named Blanck."

At the conference, which is sponsored by the Illinois Language and Literacy Council, in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education, students’ books will be read, discussed, and affixed with the official seal of the Young Authors’ Conference.

Waukegan’s winners were selected by District employees based on the official Young Authors’ rubric. In addition to District winners attending the special statewide ceremony at Illinois State University, more than 50 Waukegan Public Schools finalists and their families will be honored by Waukegan Public Schools at a Young Authors ceremony on Wednesday, May 2 at the AOEC’s Wixom Auditorium.

Email Contact: nalajakis@wps60.org