Darien’s Good Wife’s River Chapter of theDaughters of the American Revolution has announced the winners of the NSDAR annual Fifth Grade American History Essay Contest.
— an announcement from the Good Wife’s River Chapter of the DAR
The first place winner is William Curtis, Ox Ridge School; second place winner is Madeline Galligan, Tokeneke School; third place winner is Quincy Kettell, Hindley School; and the honorable mention winner is Ellie Shpetner, Royle School.
All participants are fifth grade students in the Darien school system.
William Curtis’s first-place winning essay will be sent to the Connecticut State DAR essay chairperson and entered into the Connecticut state DAR Contest where the judging of the state competition will take place this spring.
For the past three years, the Good Wife’s River Chapter Essay winner has gone on to win the Connecticut State Fifth Grade Essay Contest.
The awards ceremony and reception will take place at 2 p.m., Monday, Feb. 3 in the parlor of the Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien. Winners will read their essays to invited principals, teachers, parents, family, friends and DAR members.
Students receive a certificate from the Good Wife’s River Chapter and an award from Barrett Bookstore owner, Sheila Daley, who has been invited to attend the reception.
The presentation will be made by DAR member Sandi MacPherson, the contest coordinator and essay chairman. Chapter Regent Nicole Gorman will conduct a brief business session at 1:30 p.m. prior to the ceremony.
Essay Topic: Mayflower Voyage
This year’s topic was: “The Voyage of the Mayflower.”
The year 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony. Children were asked to imagine that they were one of the passengers on the Mayflower, to research what materials were available in 1620, and what they would have packed to prepare for their trip to start a new life in the wilderness.
After experiencing more than two months at sea, they finally landed at Plymouth Colony. Might they as passengers have made different choices and why?