Christmas essayists lauded for efforts

Yukon student winners showcased at city council meeting

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Yukon Mayor Shelli Selby congratulates four winners of the 2022 Mayor’s Christmas Essay Contest during the Jan. 17th Yukon City Council meeting: From left, Mayor Selby, Emilen Chaffin, Ashtyn Klein, Everleigh Gonzalez, and Caitlin Dean. (Photo by Conrad Dudderar)

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.

Everleigh Gonzalez (third from right) reads aloud her winning Christmas essay at the Jan. 17th Yukon City Council meeting inside the Centennial Building, 12 S 5th. Other contest winners pictured are Emilen Chaffin, Ashtyn Klein and Caitlin Dean. (Photo by Conrad Dudderar)
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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.

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