By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Four Yukon students got to be “front and center” at the last Yukon City Council meeting.
Emilen Chaffin, Ashtyn Klein, Everleigh Gonzalez, and Caitlin Dean were among six winners from five Yukon schools in the 2022 Mayor’s Christmas Essay Contest.
Emilen, Ashtyn, Everleigh, and Caitlin were honored during the Jan. 17th Yukon City Council meeting inside the Centennial Building, 12 S 5th. Everleigh read aloud her essay for the audience.
Yukon Mayor’s Shelli Selby commended the girls for their Christmas essay-writing talents.
Reading all the Christmas essays that Yukon students wrote is a “highlight” of Selby’s service.
“It was amazing, and it was one of the most difficult jobs I’ve done this year because all the essays were so great,” she said.
The mayor thanked the 18 Yukon teachers who motivated their students to write essays. The 2022 competition featured 164 entries.
Children wrote on the subject, “What Christmas Means to Me.”
All winners read their essays during the Mayor’s Christmas Party for Kids on Dec. 3 at the Dale Robertson Center, 1200 Lakeshore.
There, they received trophies and gift cards to reward their accomplishments.
“We have a huge party where (the children) get to do craft and have games, food and cookies,” Mayor Selby said. “But the biggest highlight is getting to hear the words that these children have written.”
Seven Yukon schools and a homeschool participated in the annual Christmas essay contest.
Ranchwood Elementary School led the pack with 53 students submitting essays.
COMPLETE RESULTS
Entries in the 2022 Mayor’s Christmas Essay Contest were judged in two grade categories. Here are the results:
Grades K-3
First place – Adalyn Stricker
Second place – Ashtyn Klein
Third place – Emilen Chaffin
Honorable mention – Holden Oster
Grades 4-6
First place – Caitlin Dean
Second place – London Raska
Third place – Everleigh Gonzalez
Honorable mention – Max Minor and Declan Calhoun
The winning Christmas essayists’ teachers were recognized and presented gift cards as a bonus:
Ms. DeVault at Skyview Elementary, Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Davis at Ranchwood Elementary, Mrs. Wrather at Lakeview Intermediate, Ms. Irick at Independence Intermediate, and Mrs. Partlow at Redstone Intermediate.
