Mallory Haynes and Ben Bahr won first and second place awards respectively in the 2004 Fire Prevention Essay Contest. Haynes has her name added to the firemen's traveling trophy which remains in Christ Community Church School for a year. Holly Ritchie teaches seventh and eighth grades at the school. Her students have received awards in the Fire Prevention Essay Contest for five years in a row.

Community Church students take top prizes in county essay contest

Two Brockport students in Brockport's Christ Community Church School have won the top awards in the seventh and eighth grade level of the Monroe County division of the 2004 Fire Prevention Essay Contest. Mallory Haynes, an eighth grader, placed first and Ben Bahr, a seventh grader, placed second. Both received a plaque and a cash award.

Their essays on "It's Fire Prevention Week, Test Your Smoke Alarm" were chosen from 1,800 submissions from public, private and parochial suburban schools throughout Monroe County. The awards were presented by firemen of the Monroe County Volunteer Firemen's Association, Inc. at a ceremony at the school. The two essays will go on to a nineteen-county regional competition.

The teacher of the two students is Holly Ritchie of Holley. Since Ritchie started teaching at the school, her seventh and eighth grade students have won awards in the annual contest for each of the past five years. Her students all submit essays as part of a class assignment. Out of a class of eleven this year, two won the top prizes in the county.