August 2024: Creative Writing Competition Results!

The moment you have been waiting for has arrived! 

I would like to begin by congratulating all VTO students who chose to participate in the competition- putting yourself out there is no easy feat! All judges and myself were very impressed with the quality, caliber, and authenticity of all submissions. Even though we could only select two winning pieces for each division, each piece was a clear reflection of the talent in our community. 

Before I get to our winners, I would like to provide a quick synopsis of the judging process. 

• Following the closing of the competition, I prepared all submissions for judging. For each piece, I removed the student’s name and any personal identifiers. 

• Because I (Anoushka) had access to student information, I did not partake in the official judging process. 

• The only information judges had when grading a student’s piece was their grade level, the title, and the written work. 

• Student work was judged according to a fixed rubric. Both judges graded individually, and final scores were calculated by averaging student scores from each judge. 

Any questions or clarifications about the judging process can be shared with me at vtocdenglish@gmail.com. 

Our 2024 Creative Writing Competition winners are: 

Upper Division (Grades 5-9): 

1st Place: “The Nectar of Nature” by Vishy N. 

2nd Place: “A Transformative Friendship” by Anisha M. 

Lower Division (Grades 1-4): 

1st Place: “What am I grateful for?” by Ameya A. 

2nd Place: “Gratitude is the only right Attitude” by Aaditri B. 

Congratulations to our winners on a job well done! We hope to make winning submissions accessible shortly. 

Until next time, 

Anoushka Majumder

Vice President & Curriculum Director of English, VTO