GIRL WINS STATE ESSAY CONTEST

When Charlotte Dirnberger helped daughter Rita type an essay for school, she didn't realize it would win a state writing award. Last Saturday the Dirnberger family received a telephone call telling them Rita had won.

"I thought I was just helping her type her homework paper," said Dirnberger. Rita's fourth-grade creative writing teacher, Monica Macke, at St. Mary's School, turned in the essay to the county chapter of Missouri Association for Community and Family Education (MAFCE), who sponsored the contest. The essay entitled, "Why is My Family Important To Me?" won first place at the county, district and state level of the association.

In the essay, Rita explains what it would feel like to wake up without her family. She wrote, "My misery was overwhelming. I had no food and I didn't have a warm bed to sleep in ... I realized that all the things that mean so much to me could be mine if I had a family." Rita said the essay really does express the way she feels about her family -- most of the time. "I really love my family but sometimes my brother Abraham does aggravate me," laughed Rita. She said she even loves her 3-year-old sister, Audrey.

The young writer said feelings expressed in the essay came from an idea her father, Steve, gave her. "My dad said to think about what it would really be like to be without your family; so I did."

The MAFCE contest was judged by panels of retired teachers. Area retired teachers, Opal Collins and Verna Vogel, both of Cape Girardeau, and Marilyn Retherford of Oak Ridge judged the essays at the county level. Essays had to be between 150 and 250 words in length and were submitted by fourth-graders statewide.

Rita, who likes to play soccer and the piano, said she is not sure she wants to be a writer but would like to be a teacher. She said her teacher has left a good impression on her. "I like my teacher," she said. "She has a lot of good ideas."

The state essay award will be presented to Rita today at the MAFCE's district meeting in Jackson.