Students in Southwestern Middle School wrote essays based on the patriotic theme “Why It Is Important To Celebrate Memorial Day.”

Nolan Lefler, Reece Beaver and Dustin Hendrix marched in the Memorial Day parades on Monday, May 27, and read their essays at the Busti and Sunset Hill cemeteries. Each of the students in sixth through eighth grades who placed in the contest will be given gift certificates from Off the Beaten Path. The winners in each grade level were:

¯ Sixth Grade: Nolan Lefler, first place; Emma Malmstrom-Jouannet, second place; Kaitlyn Miller, third place; Kaitlyn Galati, fourth place.

¯ Seventh Grade: Reece Beaver, first place; Joslyn Brown, second place; Isyss Smith, third place; Matthew Lefler, fourth place.

¯ Eighth Grade: Dustin Hendrix, first place; Janmanshi Padhya, second place.

Judges for the annual educational contest were Miss LaGrega, Mrs. Gould, Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Sirianni. The essay contest is jointly sponsored by Lakewood Memorial Post 1286 and Celoron Legion Post 777.