A very special student from Mrs. Russo's class at Durhamville Elementary will have his writing published through Young Writers USA!

Young Writers runs national writing contests for schools, aiming to nurture students' creativity and build their confidence in writing. Their mission is "to have children and young adults keep using their awesome gift for imagination and creativity."

Thanks to Oneida CSD Business Official Mr. William Wares, who shared his positive experience with the Young Writers USA program in his former role, Mrs. Russo was able to facilitate her students' participation in this exciting contest.

Mrs. Russo emphasizes, "Over my 34 years of teaching, creative writing has taken a back seat, while expository and response writing has been our focus. This is definitely important, but I was interested in sprinkling in some writing activities that were educational, but mainly for the joy of writing, to show kids how amazing and fun language can be.

I especially love how their individual personalities are highlighted in creative writing pieces. The mini-saga contests come with colorful, eye-catching slide shows, example pieces, graphic organizers, and an online writing portal. Young Writers also gives parents the option to buy a book with their child’s story in it, along with stories from kids across America."  

Ethan's story revolves around a girl who moves into a new, large house that turns out to be haunted. Throughout the narrative, she constantly hears a voice urging her to “Leave!”

Ethan shares, "I don’t like writing in general, only a little bit. I liked this story because I got to publish it in a book."

He finds it incredibly cool to have his work showcased! "my mom gets to buy it and see my writing and other kids’ writing from the USA." 

Congratulations, Ethan, on this outstanding accomplishment!