By By Kelly Quackenbush/The Meridian Star
April 13, 2001
More than 150 students from 24 area school districts competed Thursday in the Region 3 Reading Fair at the Meridian campus of Mississippi State University.
To qualify for the regional competition, the students had to win first place in their school district's reading fair.
Several factors were used in judging the students' projects including: creativity, quality, clarity of writing, thoroughness of written information, and interest evoked. Ribbons were presented to more than 30 students.
The first place winners were as follows:
Grades K-3 category: Payten Stanley, kindergarten, Caledonia Elementary; Brock Williams, first grade, Poplar Springs; Derrick McIntyre, second grade, Raleigh Elementary; Erin Adcock, third grade, Clarkdale.
Drew Smith of Louisville Elementary placed first in the category for grades 4-5. Kate Gressett of West Lauderdale placed first in the grades 6-8 category. Mary Katherine Gilmore of Meridian High School took first place in the category for grades 9-12.
First place in the group category for grades K-3 went to "The Three Little Pigs" group from Philadelphia Elementary. The "Summer of Monkeys" group of Morton High School took first place in the category for grades 4-8. First place in grades 9-12 went Morton High School.
The first place winners from each division will advance to the state competition in Jackson April 20.
Kelly Quackenbush is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at kquackenbush@themeridianstar.com.