Memorial seventh graders, Casey Brower and Lauren Lax, will compete in the State Power of the Pen Tournament on May 25th at the College of Wooster.  They advanced to the state competition after placing in the Regional Power of the Pen competition on March 31st at Hudson Middle School. 

Casey ranked ninth out of 90 seventh graders in the regional event.  Lauren was also among the 30 seventh graders who qualified for the state competition. 

Nanette Sherwood, a language arts/reading teacher at Mayfield Schools who serves as writing coach and advisor for Memorial's Power of the Pen teams, said Casey and Lauren have been working diligently on their writing skills.

"These girls have truly grown as writers and continue to surprise and shock me with their detailed, heartwarming, humorous and creative words," Sherwood said.  "They will do well at states."

The girls meet with Sherwood every Thursday after school at Memorial and practice their writing on their own during the week. 

This trip to states culminates a very successful season for the Power of the Pen team.  The seventh grade team finished in first place in the district competition on January 21st at Perry Middle School.  At the district competition, four seventh graders (Casey Brower, Lauren Lax, Leah Fox and Uma Singh) and one eighth grader (Jaylen Perkins) qualified for the regional competition. 

Power of the Pen is an award winning educational enhancement program devoted to excellence in creative writing.  It is designed for students in Ohio at the seventh and eighth grade levels.