Schoharie Jr./Sr. High School
Spring Writing Contest
“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself”
-Henry Miller
We live in such a gorgeous little nook of the world. Schoharie Valley is nestled in the foothills of the Catskill mountains surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, from the creek bed to the hilltops.
Write an essay that is inspired by Henry Miller’s quote, sharing an up-close look at something that represents Schoharie Valley, either the beauty of one feature of our natural environment or an aspect, artifact or feature of the history or culture here. Then, show how this connects to something greater. You must make at least one reference to Schoharie or Schoharie Valley, in your essay.
Section I – General Rules
- Contestants must enter by sharing their original Google Doc with Mrs. Ringuette via this email address: aringuette@schoharieschools.org (Google Doc titles should include “Schoharie Spring Writing Contest” and the student’s name.)
- Contestants must write an original essay with limited guidance from others.
- Schoharie Schools will have the right to edit (with the author’s permission), publish or otherwise duplicate any essay entered into the contest without payment to the author.
- All entries must be submitted by 3:24 p.m., Friday, June 2, 2023.
- The essay review committee will consist of parents, faculty, administrators and community members.
- The authors’ names will be withheld from the review committee during the evaluation process.
- Essays will be judged in three categories: originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice. (Rubric follows)
- Winner(s) will be contacted with the results by Friday, June 9th and will have their essays shared on our school website and possibly other sites and sources.
- Prizes will be provided by local businesses.
- There is no entry fee for this contest.
Section II – Qualifications for Contestants
- The competition is open to all Schoharie School students in grades 6-12.
- Contestants may submit only one essay entry for this competition.
Section III – Contest Rules
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- Essays must address the official contest prompt and meet the criteria of the prompt.
- Essays must be typed and double-spaced.
- Essays must be between 500 and 700 words.
- Any quotations or copyrighted material used in the essay must be properly cited using the format detailed in the MLA 9th Edition. Failure to identify non-original material will result in disqualification.