Students invited to take part in essay contest

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The Alida C. Bliss Chapter NSDAR of Morris sponsors an American History Essay Contest every year.

The subject of the essay depends on what specific event the National Society wishes to emphasize.

This year, 2009-2010, the subject is “The Transcontinental Railroad.”

The students participating are to describe how they felt on May 10, 1869, when the golden spike was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, to celebrate the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad.

They are to pretend to be either a settler planning to use the train to travel to their new home in the west, an Irish or Chinese worker who helped build the line, or a Native American whose way of life was greatly affected by the railroad.

This contest is open to any fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth grader in Grundy County. This includes home-schooled children, private schools, parochial schools and of course, the public schools.

Home-schooled children may contact the Grundy County School Administration office on Union Street in Morris, or they may contact the Morris Public Library.

Information has been sent to the following schools: Coal City Intermediate and Middle schools, Mazon-Verona-Kinsman Middle School, Nettle Creek, White Oak, Shabbona, South Wilmington, Saratoga, Gardner, Braceville and Immaculate Conception. If any fifth grade school has been missed, contact Morris Public Library and they will send a prepared packet.

The information has been sent out to the principals in early September in order to have the contest included in the fall curriculum.

Information for home schooled children grades 5-8 will be available at the Morris Public Library, or the Grundy County School Administration Office in September.

The finished essays are returned to the co-chapter historian by the end of November, in order that they can be judged and the chapter winners’ work sent off to the state chairman by Dec. 15. If the essays pass at the state level, they are eligible to be sent on to the national level.

Essays this year are due in the school office, the library, or the Grundy County School Administration office by Nov. 24. Home-schoolers’ essays will be forwarded to the essay chairperson.