Five scholars from West Virginia Academy were honored in Charleston on Friday for their submissions in the WV Young Writers Contest. Statewide less than thirty students per grade level are selected to attend this prestigious event. The keynote speaker was Homer Hickman, Jr., New York Times #1 Best Selling Author of Rocket Boys, the memoir that inspired the movie October Sky. Students received a certificate of accomplishment and were able to participate in workshops with professional writers in different writing genres including poems, short stories, songs, and novels. West Virginia Academy had representation in five of the six age groups at the event. The day was historic both because it was the first annual young writers event with representation from charter schools and because Governor Justice officially declared it young writers day in West Virginia.
The day was also exciting for the other scholars at the charter school as the favorable weather provided opportunities for many outdoor adventures. Scholars of all ages participated in swimming lessons, intramural sports, hiking, and experiential learning opportunities throughout the day. The fourth grade attended a field trip to hike a trail at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve the day before. Every Friday at West Virginia Academy is an experience day that is reserved for learning beyond the classroom through experiences like these. Our scholars appreciate how experience days provide a change of pace from the rigorous classroom learning throughout the rest of the week.
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