On January 28, the Clarkson Historical Society (CHS) conferred honors upon winning students in the organization’s 4th annual Handwriting Contest. The event took place in the restored historic Clarkson Academy located at Clarkson Corners. The contest is part of the CHS campaign to revive interest in cursive writing, which it sees disappearing from school curricula and from the American culture.
The contest winners are:
4th & 5th Grade
1st Place – Alice Dickerson, Brockport Hill School
2nd Place – Andrew Martinez, Lake Ontario Baptist Academy
3rd Place – Candace Harris, Home Schooled Clarkson
6th, 7th, 8th Grade
1st Place – Cynthia Harris, Home Schooled Clarkson
2nd Place – Victor Martinez, Lake Ontario Baptist Academy
3rd Place – Emma Lenhard, Merton Williams School, Hilton
9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Grade
1st Place – Kayleigh Rodell, Lake Ontario Baptist Academy
2nd Place – Claire Buck, Lake Ontario Baptist Academy
3rd Place – Emily Gol, Lake Ontario Baptist Academy
Mary Edwards, president of the Clarkson Historical Society, was pleased to see the increase in entries over the previous year, from 164 in six school districts to 207 in seven school districts this year. She also noted, “This is the first year for home-schooled entries and entries from Spencerport, which makes for more diversity.”
Edwards and CHS members Leanna Hale and Pamela Mercer have organized the annual contests from the beginning. Judges for this year’s contest were: Terry Carbone, vice president of the Brockport Central School District Board of Education; David Gifaldi, formerly a 5th grade teacher in Oregon, now a Holley resident; and Chris Mazzarella, a retired Brockport Central School District 4th grade teacher.
The local campaign is part of the “Campaign for Cursive” worldwide movement promoting cursive writing instruction in public schools, sponsored by the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation located in California. The foundation has designated January 23 as “National Handwriting Day.” That is the date of John Hancock’s birthday in 1737, the founding father known for his bold, embellished iconic signature on the Declaration of Independence. “Put your John Hancock there” became the expression for a person’s signature conveying his or her unique identity and affirmation on any formal document. And, advocates say, one’s own unique handwriting and signature appropriately conveys and confirms a personal message from the soul.
The Clarkson Historical Society has promoted cursive handwriting since 2014 when the first Brockport Hill School 4th graders made field trips to the Academy and were taught cursive. And, promotion has included the annual workshops called Cursive Sundays being scheduled again for this spring. Handwriting will also be taught in the annual Summer Camp being planned for August. All activities are held in the Clarkson Academy.
