Wescott School fourth-grader Paityn Han is among five winners across the nation in Storyworks Magazine’s February edition of the Scholastic Writing Contest.
According to a news release, teachers at the Northbrook school surprised her on May 31 with the award in front of her parents and the entire school during Wescott’s end-of-year assembly.
Her teacher, Mrs. Petra Choi, also presented her with the award from Scholastic and a copy of the book “Lost at Sea: Shipwrecks!” by Ben Hubbard, the release said.
Paityn joined several students in her class in submitting an essay and, according to Storyworks, she is among hundreds of students in the country who submit each month to the contest, the release said.
Lauren Tarshis, editor-in-chief of Storyworks, stated in a letter, “Of the hundreds of submissions we receive each month, we choose winning entries that show strong critical thinking, point of view, and reading and writing skills.”
“Paityn’s entry demonstrated a firm understanding of the text alongside the ability to craft a well-organized and engaging response,” she added.
Choi, Paityn’s teacher, said the 10-year-old needed minimal guidance in writing her essay.
“Paityn really did the hard work and put in several drafts to me until she was satisfied,” Choi said in the release. “She is a very gifted writer and student!”
