Hours of preparation and rehearsals paid off for four Fayette County elementary and middle school students, earning them placements at the annual Griffin RESA Regional Literacy Days Competition.

In poetry recitation, Kylan Wright of Braelinn Elementary took first place in the third grade division, Katie Rausch of Peeples Elementary took first place in the fifth grade division, and Aiden Choat of J.C. Booth Middle placed second in the seventh grade division. The judges rated the students’ performances on stage presence, articulation, interpretation, memory and accuracy, and difficulty of the piece.

In ready writing, Cecily Lacy of Bennett’s Mill Middle took third place in the eighth grade division. Students are given a prompt and are asked to write on the spot without any prior preparation. They have one hour to complete their piece, which is judged on ideas, organization, and style.

The students advanced to the regional competition after winning first place in the Fayette County Literacy Days competition. At the regional event, they competed with other county winners in their grade levels from school systems in Butts, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Pike, Spalding, and Upson counties.