Kirtland Middle School’s (KMS) Power of the Pen Team participated in the Lake Erie College District Tournament on January 7 against 18 other schools. There were 70 seventh graders and seventy-four eighth graders competing.

The team includes seventh graders Payton Adkins, Julia Cottrell and Mairin Fini as well as eighth graders Braden Picard, Danika Schaum, Ellie Spencer and Kevin Urbanick. 

KMS Power of the Pen Advisor Susan Summerhill believes the program is highly beneficial to the students that participate. “Writers have the opportunity to gather and collaborate with peers who share their passion for creative writing,” said Summerhill. “Writers also reap the rewards of both coach and peer feedback; this feedback facilitates creative writing growth within a  timed-writing competitive setting. Lastly, the creative writing skills participants acquire through Power of the Pen experiences positively impact their written communication in academic settings and future careers.” 

At the seventh-grade level, Payton Adkins took 4th place while 8th grader Braden Picard earned 8th place.  Seventh grader Mairin Fini and eighth grader Ellie Spencer were unable to compete at the district tournament due to scheduling conflicts.