Shell Knob Students Attend DAR Tea

DAR essay winnersSix Shell Knob middle school students were given awards at the annual Daughters of the Revolution Tea. Every year students 5th-8th from local schools are given a historical topic to write an essay about.

This year’s topic was, “World War 1: Remembering the War to End all Wars.” Students had to research the time frame from the end of the WW1 to the first year or so after the war. Then students had to pretend to be a person from that time frame.

Next, students had to decide if they were going to use journal entries or narrative form and tell the story of their life at that time. Students had to blend fact with fiction to write their essay. They were limited on words and had to show a firm grasp of the positive and negative impact of the War on America. The essays are read by the ladies in DAR and judged for their historical accuracy, their length, their adherence to the topic, and their creativity.

The students winning 1st and 2nd place are invited to the annual tea. All 1st and 2nd place winners are given a certificate and coin in honor of their effort and abilities. However, there are also overall winners who are the Elk Horn Chapter winners and their essays go on to the state level. They also get to read their essay and get a special pin. The students then get to meet the ladies who keep our history alive for future generations.

Our school only had students from 6th-8th grade write essays this year. Essay winners in 6th were Amber Hayes (1st place) and Dre’ Jines (2nd place), Essay winners in 7th grade were Ethan Dias (1st place) and Isaac Hadlow (2nd place).  Essay winners in 8th grade were Avery Crain (1st Place), and Holly Sherfy (2nd place). Unfortunately none of our students went on to the state level, however, the students have promising futures as writers.