The National Council of Teachers of English announced today that Mepham High School's literary magazine, Fragments, has been selected to receive the rank of Superior in the 2023 NCTE Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) program. Congratulations to advisor Ms. Maresca and the Fragments club on this incredible honor. The mission of NCTE’s REALM program is to publicly recognize excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing. This award honors Fragments as, “a fine example of this mission in action,” adding that the REALM committee looks forward to seeing future publications from Mepham High School. The listing of all ranked magazines will be available on the NCTE website. More information about Fragments and other school publications can be accessed via Social Media and the hashtag #NCTEREALMAward (@NCTE on Twitter, @NCTEgram on Instagram). Copies of the award-winning issue of Fragments are available in the main office as well as in the English Department office, located in room 112.
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W.C. Mepham High School erupted with the power of poetry on December 12th, as the English Department hosted its 16th annual Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. After captivating performances by 24 talented students, the judges crowned their champions:
Danya Zaidi, who tied for first in 2021 as a freshman and took the bronze medal last year, continues to impress with her performance prowess. She and 2nd place winner Jake Wilson will represent Mepham High School in the Nassau County Regional semifinal competition in February. The stakes are high, as two regional semifinalists will earn a chance to compete at the New York State Final in March. The Mepham community is deeply invested in nurturing this love for the written word. Led by English teacher Nicole Maresca with assistance from department chair Mary Allegretta, the school's participation in the competition has become a cherished holiday tradition. This year, the event took place in the brand-new Mepham Choral room, creating a stunning theatre-like atmosphere for the students' recitations. Building on a Legacy of Excellence Mepham High School hosted its first poetry recitation contest in 2007, beginning a proud history in the Poetry Out Loud competition. In 2011, Mepham senior Steven Tsai captured the hearts of judges and audiences alike, winning the New York State finals and advancing to the national stage. This past March, Riley Fried from the class of 2023 nearly followed in his footsteps, reaching the final round of the state competition held at the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn. Poetry Out Loud is more than just a competition; it's a national movement that ignites a love for poetry in students across the country. Since 2005, the program has reached over 3 million students and 50,000 teachers, transforming classrooms into vibrant stages for spoken word artistry. As Danya and Jake prepare for the regional showdown in February, we invite you to stay tuned to announcements with a date and location details about the Nassau County Semifinal. As always, the event will be free and open to the public. |