Alou Ndizeye, Julia Magee and Jayes Moise with Aprille Russell at P.S. 25 The Eubie Blake School as the second annual Evelyn A. Russell Scholars
Announcing the 2018-2019 Scholars
The 2018-2019 Evelyn A. Russell Scholars were announced June 21, 2019 in an awards ceremony at P.S. 25 The Eubie Blake School.
The first prize winner was Jayes Moises (fifth grade). Julia Magee (fifth grade) took second place, and Alou Ndizeye (fourth grade) took third place. Congratulations, scholars!
The Russell children reviewed the essays and were impressed by them all.
Jayes Moises (fifth grade) opened his essay, “I read and read so I can lead.” From there, Jayes explained the importance of reading for learning about the world, improving vocabulary and reading comprehension, and making a positive impact.
“Reading has helped me become a good citizen and get along with everyone despite our differences. I have read many books about citizenships, responsibility, and helping others. These books basically taught me important values about life. They showed me how to be a positive role model to the world. As a matter of fact, I do a lot of volunteering at my school. When we have special days at my school, I volunteered as a monitor and an attendant. I also volunteer to read books to the lower grades every morning during school.”
Julia Magee (fifth grade) wrote in her essay, “There is a saying that says, ‘You are what you eat.’ The same can be said for reading. You are what you read. If you read books about loyalty, friendship, courage, leadership, humility, and confidence then you will be all of these things. My character gets stronger every time I read a great book.”
Alou Ndizeye (fourth grade) demonstrated a depth of knowledge about early child development in his essay. Alou’s second language is English and he wrote, “When babies hear people reading that makes them want to speak more because they hear people saying it. Reading can help a lot of people with their vocabulary. For example, my little brother reads for thirty minutes every day and it helped him with his vocabulary.”
The three essays were strong and creative, and deciding a first place winner was difficult. Ultimately, Adam, Aprille and Aisha Russell agreed that Jayes’ essay showed a unique sense of style.
Many parents, aunts and uncles attended the school’s end of year awards ceremony, where students from pre-K through fifth grade received certificates and trophies for achievements in math, science, music, technology, good conduct, physical education, and writing.
Aprille Russell addressed the audience, congratulated the winners and presented them with Visa gift cards. The children, parents and teachers responded with warmth and gratitude.
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It was an honor, for the second year in a row, to recognize both our mother Evelyn Russell and the achievements of these outstanding students.
Thank you to all of the students who participated in the essay writing contest, the teachers for educating them in the art of persuasive writing and to Principal Anita Coley and Assistant Principal Dr. Esther Wilson for making this all possible.