MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT is proud to announce the winners of the 15th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. 282 children entered the contest and WQPT picked sixteen local winners (first, second, third and honorable mention) from kindergarten through third grade. Participants chose fact or fiction, prose or poetry.
Requirements included: original, single-authored stories with K - 1 students writing a minimum of 50 words and maximum of 200... and Grades 2 -3 writing a minimum of 100 words and maximum of 350. Each age group had to illustrate a minimum of 5 drawings.
Ten local readers, many retired teachers, picked their favorite stories which were then judged by five representatives from the sponsoring organizations. They selected the 16 local winners. "The judges had a difficult task picking the finalists because so many of the stories were fun and imaginative. The winning stories combined thoughtful storytelling with strong visuals to match," said WQPT Educational Outreach Director, Ana Kehoe. Sponsors for the contest were Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, Family Museum, Figge Art Museum and WQPT, Quad Cities PBS.
Local winners will receive their awards at a ceremony on May 17th at 3:00 p.m. at the Deere-Wiman House. The winning stories will be on display at the Butterworth Center in Moline, May 17 - 29, at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, June 1 - June 19 and at the Family Museum in Bettendorf, June 22 -July 6. First place winners will compete for prizes in the national Reading Rainbow competition. The winners will be announced in July. Last year Jayda Brunkan from Eldridge was a national third place winner.
WQPT is the local public television station located in Moline, Illinois on the campus of Black Hawk College.
READING RAINBOW WINNERS 2009
KINDERGARTEN
?First Place
Baylor Verbrugge, Edward White Elementary, Eldridge.
?Second Place
Ilese Rodeffer, Avon Elementary, Avon, IL.
?Third Place
Stephanie Ruiz, Longfellow School, Rock Island.
?Honorable Mention
Qy Burke, Homeschooled, Bettendorf.
FIRST GRADE
?First Place
Jayda Brunkan, Edward White Elementary, Eldridge.
?Second Place
Abby Devinney, Temple Christian School, Moline.
?Third Place
Ellie Huh, Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf.
?Honorable Mention
Blake Hasson, Alwood Elementary, Alpha, IL.
SECOND GRADE
?First Place
Grace Gugelmeyer, Longfellow School, Rock Island.
?Second Place
Mabel Losey, Alwood Elementary, Alpha, IL.
?Third Place
Nicholas Epplin, Winola Elementary, Viola, IL.
?Honorable Mention
Eunice Yoon, Prophetstown Elementary, Prophetstown, IL.
THIRD GRADE
?First Place
Giavanna Mariani, Pleasant View School, Bettendorf.
?Second Place
Olivia Nelson, Cody Elementary, LeClaire.
?Third Place
Wyatt Mohr, Mediapolis Community School, Mediapolis, IA.
?Honorable Mention
Katherine Moore, Earl Hanson Elementary, Rock Island.
