Students from Across Mississippi Compete in State Reading Fair


Students in grades K-12 earned gold medals for their
first place projects in the Mississippi Department of Education's 12th
annual State Reading Fair held recently in Jackson.

The Reading Fair provides students the opportunity to share their
favorite fiction or non-fiction book through a storyboard display. The
goal of the reading fair is to help students experience a deeper
enjoyment and pleasure for reading by participating in the process.
Students may enter one of four categories: individual, group, family,
or non-fiction. Within each category, students are judged in divisions
based on grade level. Students compete in local competitions to advance
to regional competitions. First place winners at each regional site
advance to the state level reading fair, where they compete against each
other in their winning category.

The first place winners selected at the state level competition
include:

Individual Category Winners

Kindergarten - First Place: Skylar Alewine, Anniston Ave. Elementary
School, Gulfport Public School District

Grade 1 - First Place: Reed Simmons, Grenada Elementary School, Grenada
School District

Grade 2 - First Place: Arleigh Johnson, Rienzi Elementary School,
Alcorn School District

Grade 3 - First Place: Ali Settlemires, Biggersville Elementary School,
Alcorn School District

Grades 4-5 - First Place: Devin Ammons, Bentonia Gibbs Elementary
School, Yazoo County School District

Grades 6-8 - First Place: Samantha Wilson, Eiland Middle School,
Louisville School District

Grades 9-12 - First Place: Emily Hardin, Calhoun City High School,
Calhoun County School District


Group Category Winners

Grades K-3 - First Place: Chance DeLeo, Taj DeLeo, and Tate Parker,
West Wortham Elementary School, Harrison County District

Grades 4-8 - First Place: Matthew Loudermill and Richard Kimble,
Okolona High School, Okolona School District

Grades 9-12 - First Place: Ravati Patel and Makayla Pullen, Houston
High School, Houston School District


Family Category Winners

Grades K-3 - First Place: Tyler Branch, Lexington Elementary School,
Holmes County School District

Grades 4-8 - First Place: Tucker Carter, Magee Middle School, Simpson
County School District


Non-fiction Category Winners

Grades 4-8 - First Place: Jamie Muliwyk, Grenada Upper Elementary
School, Grenada School District

Grades 9-12- First Place: Lee Hopson, Kossuth High School, Alcorn
School District

Note: Photos of the first place winners will be emailed to the media in
each of these school districts. If you do not receive a photo, please
contact Pete Smith, Director of Communications at psmith@mde.k12.ms.us.