Hilltop’s Revolutionary Writers
In November, our middle school students participated in the Chinkchewunska Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution American History essay contest. Under the direction of our Upper School English teacher, Ms. Sarah Weeks, students tackled this year’s topic: the Boston Massacre. 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, considered a pivotal event that paved the way to the American Revolution.

Paul Revere’s “The Bloody Massacre perpetuated in King Street Boston on March 5, 1770 by a part of the 29th REGT.
The student writers were given the following prompt:
“Imagine you are living in Boston, and, after witnessing the events of March 5, describe your family’s discussion about the Boston Massacre and what role it played in organizing the colonists against the British King and Parliament.”
Using the five-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, proofreading, and publishing), students worked diligently to craft narrative essays; special emphasis was placed on the revision step, and all students took part in peer exchanges of their work, as well as one-to-one teacher conferences.
We are very proud to announce that ten of our middle school writers were recognized for their essays this year, and four of our students’ essays will be sent to the state-level competition.
Grade 8 Chapter Winner: Justin Arapkiles
Grade 7 Chapter Winner: Henry Gibson
Grade 7 Second Place: Sammy Easton
Grade 7 Third Place: Sophie Schaeffner
Grade 7 Honorable Mention: James Brugna
Grade 6 Chapter Winner: Cameron Clifford
Grade 6 Second Place: Antonia Miragliotta
Grade 6 Third Place: SJ Gekht
Grade 5 Chapter Winner: Timothy Willwerth
Grade 5 Second Place: Ella Pacich
Justin’s, Henry’s, Cameron’s, and Timothy’s winning essays will be forwarded to the NJDAR Chair for consideration at the state level.
In this extraordinary year, we want to thank the Chinkchewunska Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for offering our students this creative and educational opportunity.
Congratulations to all!