WTVP Headlines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Winning Grade School Authors to be Honored by WTVP

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Peoria, IL — WTVP, public television for Central Illinois, will honor the 12 local winners of the 14th Annual "Reading Rainbow" Young Writers & Illustrators Contest at a special award ceremony and winners party tomorrow afternoon, May 6, at 4:30 in the WTVP Studio, 101 State Street on the Peoria Riverfront. Media is welcome.

The Contest, open to kindergarteners through third graders throughout Central Illinois, challenges kids to write and illustrate their very own stories, encouraging their love of literature and thirst for learning. The 12 local winners were judged and chosen from 219 entries from 35 different communities in Central Illinois.

The contest is sponsored nationally by "Reading Rainbow," PBS’ award-winning TV program, and administered locally by public television station WTVP 47. The first-place winners in each grade level advance to the national level to compete against other local winners from stations across the nation for big prizes such as a laptop computer, a flat panel TV and an MP3 player.

All contest entrants receive a Certificate of Achievement signed by "Reading Rainbow" host Le Var Burton. Each of the 12 local winners receive special prizes from WTVP and their stories will be featured online at the station’s website, www.wtvp.org\programming\kids\Readingrainbow\rainbow2008\winners.asp.

—2008 Local Winners—

 Local 1^st-Place Winners

• Kindergarten—Noah Janes from the Janes Homeschool in Morton for “My Barney”

• First Grade— Lia Lohnes from Tremont Grade School for “Feelings”

• Second Grade—Bronwen Boyd from Bent Elementary School in Bloomington for “’Laylas’ in My Rose Garden”

• Third Grade—Selena Suarez from Costa Catholic Academy in Galesburg for “The Piano Competition”

Local 2^nd-place and 3^rd-place winners

Kindergarten

• Joshua Kizer from St. Joseph’s School in Pekin for “Catching Leprechauns” – 2^nd Place

• Claire Guidry from Trinity Lutheran School in Bloomington for “Little Fish” – 3^rd Place

First Grade

• Tehgen Stroud from John L. Hensey School in Washington for  “Tehgen’s Fishing Wishes”—2^nd Place

• Kevin Cull from St. Mary’s School in Metamora for “Old Johnny Saves the Day”—3^rd Place

Second Grade

• Jaci Zemenchik from Northpoint Elementary School in Bloomington for “Life With a Trach”—2^nd Place

• Christian Hinton from Banner Elementary School in the Dunlap District for “Water Adventures”—3^rd Place

Third Grade

• Kurt Bryning from Metamora Grade School for “The Lucky Penny”—2^nd Place

• Cameron Mitchell  from Kellar Primary School in Peoria for “When Kimberly Woo Won the Dance Show”—3^rd Place

###

Contact: Janet McGrath, (309) 495-0593 or janet.mcgrath@wtvp.org

[Back to WTVP Headlines]