Four Oxford Middle School students were honored Dec. 17 by North Oakland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 334 for their writing skills and patriotic spirit.
The students had entered the 2015-16 Patriot’s Pen essay contest, which asked sixth-through-eighth-graders to write between 300 and 400 words on the theme, ‘What Freedom Means to Me.?
OMS student Katerina Dimcevski won first place at the post level. She was followed by schoolmate Kendall Losee, who earned second place. Kate Wozniak and Kate Dietiker placed third and fourth, respectively.
Essay writers had to demonstrate their knowledge of the theme, relate it to their own experiences and present their ideas in a clear and easy-to-understand format.
A total of 682 essays were submitted to Post 334 from students at OMS and Van Hoosen Middle School in Rochester Hills.
Van Hoosen winners included (from first through fourth place) Fernanda Camacho-Castro, McKenna Schultz, Alejandra Ramirez and Samuel Cao.
The primary purpose of the Patriot’s Pen contest is to help instill in the younger generation a love for and devotion to this country.
Patriotism is ‘something that sometimes gets overlooked in our schools,? said Kathy Hubbard, president of VFW Auxiliary 334.
‘We’re very fortunate (that) most of our schools still recite the Pledge (of Allegiance), still have the (American) flag,? she said. ‘But there are some that do not. As long as we have our right (to free speech), let’s keep it alive.?
Post 334 also presented local awards for winners of the 2015-16 Voice of Democracy contest, which requires high school participants to create written and audio versions of a speech. This year’s topic was, ‘My Vision for America.?
Alec Cherniausky, a home-schooled student from Metamora, won first place.
Coming in second was Vashti Cameron, of Waterford.