Writers Have Record-Breaking Year in Scholastic Awards
It was a banner year for Newton Country Day in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, earning the third highest total number of writing awards in Massachusetts with 50.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation's longest-running, largest, most prestigious recognition program for creative teenagers in the visual and literary arts. The awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a non-profit whose mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent.
Fifty writing awards were given between 30 different writers, marking the most writing awards NCDS has received in a single year. Newton students previously received nine writing awards in 2020 and 28 in 2021. This year, Gold Keys were earned in Poetry, Short Story, and Humor, as well as in the highly prestigious categories of Novel Writing and Senior Portfolio.
Gold Key
M. Brogen ’24 – Short Story, “Dear Diary”
G. Brucato ’22 – Senior Writing Portfolio, “The Factors”
M. Hickey ’24 – Humor, “Catelyn”
A. Janne ’22 – Short Story, “Bears Apply to College”
G. Jobson ’22 – Novel Writing, “Climb the Night” and Poetry, “The Poet Who I Thought Was Dead”
N. Pearl ’24 – Poetry, “The Whole Picture” Poetry, “Toil in the Grounds of American Soil”
Silver Key
I. Adarme ’24 – Poetry, “The Unaccounted For”
E. Ansteth ’24 – Personal Essay, “Tidal Wave”
S. Chow ’23 – Flash Fiction, “The Train”
C. Coenraets ’22 – Critical Essay, “Distrust Towards Other Races in Ceremony” and Short Story, “The Choosing”
L. Cressotti ’23 – Critical Essay, “Fuel the Fire: Comparing Diet Trends in Interwar Nazi Germany and World War II United Kingdom”
M. Gavin ’24 – Short Story, “Mirror Mirror” and Humor, “Opening Statement for the Trial of Frankenstein’s Monster” Poetry, “The Lady of Crimson Cloth”
R. Hall ’22 – Personal Essay, “Zapomni Ni – Remember Us”
E. Hatem ’23 – Flash Fiction, “Guy in a Suit in a New York Bar”
S. He ’23 – Science Fiction, “A Roman Coin’s Tale” and Personal Essay, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families”
J. Hirsch ’25 – Flash Fiction, “That One Tree in Summer”
C. Kelley ’22 – Poetry, “Grampy’s Baseball”
J. Lesley ’22 – Science Fiction, “Hardcover” and Poetry, “I Won’t Eat That”
L. McEvoy ’22 – Short Story, “The Lucky Ones”
M. McIntyre ’22 – Science Fiction, “We Knew the Storms Would Come”
J. Sullivan ’22 – Science Fiction, “Dust to Dust”
Honorable Mention
E. Addona ’22 – Critical Essay, “Female Representation in the House on Mango Street”
S. Arokiaraj ’24 – Poetry, “Foreign Gold”
C. Bizup ’23 – Poetry, “I Memorized the Pledge of Allegiance”
G. Brucato ’22 – Personal Essay, “Growing Up”
C. Coenraets ’22 – Personal Essay, “I Used to Hate My Hair”
A. Fontes ’22 – Poetry, “American Girl Doll”
M. Gavin ’24 – Flash Fiction, “With the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings”
E. Hatem ’23 – Critical Essay, “The Paradox of Storytelling”
L. Hayes ’22 – Senior Writing Portfolio, “Dwelling Places” and Poetry, “Crayola Crayons 120 Ct.”
M. Hickey ’24 – Dramatic Script, “Range of Motion”
C. Kelley ’22 – Novel Writing, “Factory Girl: The Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911," Poetry, “Caiman Lizard Exhibition," and Flash Fiction, “Celia’s Third Birthday”
J. Lesley ’22 – Senior Writing Portfolio, “Guided By the Most High," Poetry, “Thee Black Women," and Poetry, “The Say”
F. Lyons ’22 – Science Fiction, “Half Past Life”
N. Liu ’26 – Short Story, “The Detective
N. Pearl ’24 – Poetry, “Audire”
S. Pearl ’22 – Flash Fiction, “A Friend”
A. Ransome ’23 – Poetry, “Backpack”
Additionally, three Upper School and two Middle School students were recognized by the Scholastic Art Awards.
Gold Key
R. Simen ’22 – Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Parrot
Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Flowers
Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Butterflies
Silver Key
R. Simen ’22 – Graphite, Colored Pencil, and Acrylic Wash, Senior Portfolio: Dana
I. Song – Drawing: Playmates ’26
Honorable Mention
J. Farber ’22 – Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Mouse and Bubbles
K. Severino ’24 – Charcoal, Illustration Drawing: Water Bottle
R. Simen ’22 – Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Nora and the Bees
Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Self Portrait
G. Zhang ’26 – Drawing and Illustration: Being Drawing and Illustration: Self Portrait
Students across the United States submit original works each year in 29 different categories of art and writing. Submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges in the visual and literary arts. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. More information on this year’s program can be found at www.artandwriting.org.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation's longest-running, largest, most prestigious recognition program for creative teenagers in the visual and literary arts. The awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a non-profit whose mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent.Fifty writing awards were given between 30 different writers, marking the most writing awards NCDS has received in a single year. Newton students previously received nine writing awards in 2020 and 28 in 2021. This year, Gold Keys were earned in Poetry, Short Story, and Humor, as well as in the highly prestigious categories of Novel Writing and Senior Portfolio.
Gold Key
M. Brogen ’24 – Short Story, “Dear Diary”
G. Brucato ’22 – Senior Writing Portfolio, “The Factors”
M. Hickey ’24 – Humor, “Catelyn”
A. Janne ’22 – Short Story, “Bears Apply to College”
G. Jobson ’22 – Novel Writing, “Climb the Night” and Poetry, “The Poet Who I Thought Was Dead”
N. Pearl ’24 – Poetry, “The Whole Picture” Poetry, “Toil in the Grounds of American Soil”
Silver Key
I. Adarme ’24 – Poetry, “The Unaccounted For”
E. Ansteth ’24 – Personal Essay, “Tidal Wave”
S. Chow ’23 – Flash Fiction, “The Train”
C. Coenraets ’22 – Critical Essay, “Distrust Towards Other Races in Ceremony” and Short Story, “The Choosing”
L. Cressotti ’23 – Critical Essay, “Fuel the Fire: Comparing Diet Trends in Interwar Nazi Germany and World War II United Kingdom”
M. Gavin ’24 – Short Story, “Mirror Mirror” and Humor, “Opening Statement for the Trial of Frankenstein’s Monster” Poetry, “The Lady of Crimson Cloth”
R. Hall ’22 – Personal Essay, “Zapomni Ni – Remember Us”
E. Hatem ’23 – Flash Fiction, “Guy in a Suit in a New York Bar”
S. He ’23 – Science Fiction, “A Roman Coin’s Tale” and Personal Essay, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families”
J. Hirsch ’25 – Flash Fiction, “That One Tree in Summer”
C. Kelley ’22 – Poetry, “Grampy’s Baseball”
J. Lesley ’22 – Science Fiction, “Hardcover” and Poetry, “I Won’t Eat That”
L. McEvoy ’22 – Short Story, “The Lucky Ones”
M. McIntyre ’22 – Science Fiction, “We Knew the Storms Would Come”
J. Sullivan ’22 – Science Fiction, “Dust to Dust”
Honorable Mention
E. Addona ’22 – Critical Essay, “Female Representation in the House on Mango Street”
S. Arokiaraj ’24 – Poetry, “Foreign Gold”
C. Bizup ’23 – Poetry, “I Memorized the Pledge of Allegiance”
G. Brucato ’22 – Personal Essay, “Growing Up”
C. Coenraets ’22 – Personal Essay, “I Used to Hate My Hair”
A. Fontes ’22 – Poetry, “American Girl Doll”
M. Gavin ’24 – Flash Fiction, “With the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings”
E. Hatem ’23 – Critical Essay, “The Paradox of Storytelling”
L. Hayes ’22 – Senior Writing Portfolio, “Dwelling Places” and Poetry, “Crayola Crayons 120 Ct.”
M. Hickey ’24 – Dramatic Script, “Range of Motion”
C. Kelley ’22 – Novel Writing, “Factory Girl: The Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911," Poetry, “Caiman Lizard Exhibition," and Flash Fiction, “Celia’s Third Birthday”
J. Lesley ’22 – Senior Writing Portfolio, “Guided By the Most High," Poetry, “Thee Black Women," and Poetry, “The Say”
F. Lyons ’22 – Science Fiction, “Half Past Life”
N. Liu ’26 – Short Story, “The Detective
N. Pearl ’24 – Poetry, “Audire”
S. Pearl ’22 – Flash Fiction, “A Friend”
A. Ransome ’23 – Poetry, “Backpack”
Additionally, three Upper School and two Middle School students were recognized by the Scholastic Art Awards.
Gold Key
R. Simen ’22 – Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Parrot
Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Flowers
Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Butterflies
Silver Key
R. Simen ’22 – Graphite, Colored Pencil, and Acrylic Wash, Senior Portfolio: Dana
I. Song – Drawing: Playmates ’26
Honorable Mention
J. Farber ’22 – Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Mouse and Bubbles
K. Severino ’24 – Charcoal, Illustration Drawing: Water Bottle
R. Simen ’22 – Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Nora and the Bees
Graphite and Colored Pencil, Illustration Drawing: Self Portrait
G. Zhang ’26 – Drawing and Illustration: Being Drawing and Illustration: Self Portrait
Students across the United States submit original works each year in 29 different categories of art and writing. Submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges in the visual and literary arts. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. More information on this year’s program can be found at www.artandwriting.org.