Contact: Jill Drury, Communication Specialist
JEDrury@dps.k12.oh.us
For Immediate Release

Students receive top prizes in arts categories

Fifteen Dayton Public Schools students will be recognized at the 31st annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School Program Awards ceremony to be held Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, at Thurgood Marshall STEM High School, 4447 Hoover Ave. They are among the winners of the Art, Poetry and Prose Contest.

DPS winners in the art category are:

Lordaus Cox – kindergarten – Rosa Parks ELC
Ciley Philpot – first grade – Ruskin PreK-8
Kara Hughes – second grade – Cleveland PreK-6
Tamairah Scott* – third grade – Edison PreK-8
Noah Pack* – fourth grade – Cleveland PreK-6
Haven Ober – ninth grade – Thurgood Marshall HS
Ania Gibson* – 10th grade – Ponitz CTC
Deja Mims – 11th grade – Thurgood Marshall HS
Diamond Hardwick – 12th grade – Thurgood Marshall HS

DPS winners in the poetry category are:
Zariah Young – fourth grade – Edison PreK-8
Tiara Madric* – seventh grade – Dayton Early College Academy

DPS winners in the prose category are:
Tamairah Scott – third grade – Edison PreK-8
Nathaniel Thomas* – sixth grade – Dayton Boys Prep Academy
Zora Boddie – seventh grade – Stivers School for the Arts
Jayla Brantley – 12th grade – Thurgood Marshall HS

Scott, Pack, Gibson and Madric are overall winners in their grade groups in their respective art and poetry categories. Each will receive a plaque and cash award. Thomas is the overall prose winner in his grade group as well. His winning prose entry is a testament of self-worth and community pride.  It reads, in part, “Help the weak, comfort the people who think they’ve failed at life. All I ask of you is to help, to be a true friend, help those being bullied. Stand up for what you believe in and be true to yourself and others. These are the ways you can truly help your school and/or community.”

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School Program Awards ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. The event is free. The MLK program is part of the Dayton area holiday celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Dayton Children’s Hospital is the official sponsor of the MLK School Program. The Dayton Education Association and Dayton Public Schools are proud to support the program.

For further information about the MLK School Program Awards ceremony, contact Margaret Peters at 937-274-8362.