Scharer Honored for Artwork by the MWRA
Congratulations to eighth grader Lydia Scharer who won first place in this year’s MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority) poster contest. There were over 2,000 submissions! This year, the contest theme was water conservation. The contest winners were honored at an awards reception at the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum on Friday, May 26, and all winning entries will be on display at the museum through September 29, 2023.
Nallari-Jhala Wins Two Awards for Writing
Congratulations to fifth grader Suryavir Nallari-Jhala who recently won not one but two awards for his writing. First, Suryavir earned a top honor (Level 1-Grades 4 & 5) from the Letters About Literature program. It is a nationwide program active in each state: “Letters About Literature in Massachusetts is a commonwealth-wide personal and reflective writing initiative sponsored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. The program invites students in grades 4 through 12 to read a book of their choice, reflect on it, and write a personal letter to its author, explaining the impact this work had on them.” Suryavir wrote his letter to Michael Dorris, author of Morning Girl, after reading the book in Vaniecia Skinner’s class. He wrote about the experience of reading the book and the connection he felt with the journey of the characters in the novel, especially Star Boy. Suryavir, along with Ms. Skinner, his fellow winners, and their teachers, were honored during an online ceremony in May.
Suryavir also earned an honorable mention for an essay he wrote after being inspired by a documentary on NBA coach (former Celtics coach) Doc Rivers and his story of resiliency and the importance of perseverance and teamwork. The essay was chosen out of more than 1,000 entries to the Will McDonough Writing Contest, named in honor of the late Boston Globe sports reporter and columnist. Suryavir, a big basketball fan, was honored with tickets to the New England Sports Museum at the TD Garden to learn more about sports history.
