“Participation in the Scholastic Writing Awards allows Ellis students the opportunity to see themselves as part of a larger writing community,” remarked Dr. Anna Redcay, English Department Chair, “and the accolades they earn reinforce the quality of the work they are doing in their classes and personal writing practices. I am particularly impressed at both the number of genres our students are tackling and the breadth of their subject matter. These compositions show them applying the literary critical skills they've learned in class to the issues of importance to them in their own lives.”

Ellis’ Gold Key winners will move on to the national contest in March, including senior Katie Koeppl, who won a Gold Key for her writing portfolio. An excerpt of Katie’s portfolio will be published on the Pittsburgh Scholastic Writing Awards website.