OECTA Recognizes Notable Young Authors

TORONTO, June 15, 2015 /CNW/ - Fifty-one students across the province, from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12, have received creative writing awards from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA). The Young Authors Awards/Prix jeunes écrivains acknowledge English and French writing in categories ranging from poetry and short stories to plays and non-fiction. 

"I always look forward to reading the winning submissions in the Young Authors/ jeunes écrivains awards," says James Ryan, OECTA president. "It's inspiring to see the students demonstrate their love of language, their imagination, their creativity and insight. And I'm also aware of the knowledge and support from teachers that contribute to the finished product."

The younger students embraced poetry and prose, many using humour to tell their stories. Older students experimented with a variety of writing styles and explored topics such as personal relationships, mental health and social justice. One outstanding entry, Les Dauphins de Taiji, explores the poor treatment of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.

This year marks the 30^th year OECTA has organized the awards as an effective literacy program in Catholic schools. Winners are selected from hundreds of entries from across the province. For every student who makes it to the provincial level of competition, there are thousands more who participate in the program locally.

Following preliminary judging by teachers at the local level, 21 teachers from different OECTA units served on a selection committee to choose the provincial winners.

A commemorative book of the winning submissions will be presented to the winners, and will be distributed to all Catholic schools in Ontario, to MPPs, and to the directors and chairs of the Catholic school boards and principal and trustees associations.

The book and a list of the 2015 winners can be found at www.oecta.on.ca

OECTA represents the almost 50,000 professional women and men who teach all grades in publicly funded English Catholic schools in Ontario.

SOURCE Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association

Janine Druery, Communications Specialist, 416-925-2493 ext 472, [email protected]