(PRESCOTT VALLEY, Arizona) – Zoewi Newman and Ximena Lugo Millan, sixth graders from Prescott Valley Charter School, have always had a passion for reading and writing.
The two students recently joined forces to plan, write and edit an original play called “The Substitute.” After submitting their 10-minute play to the Prescott Courthouse Center for the Arts Young Playwrights Festival, Zoewi and Ximena were delighted to learn their play won third place.
In addition to receiving a cash prize for their win, Zoewi and Ximena will be eligible to participate in an upcoming Master Class for young playwrights, where they will be able to see their production come to life on stage.
As Katie Lowenstrom, a middle school ELA teacher at Prescott Valley Charter School noted, Zoewi and Ximena spent a number of hours planning, writing, editing, revising and rehearsing their masterpiece.
“‘The Substitute’ is set in Junior High Lions School and is about three students who have been best friends since Kindergarten. When they come back to school after a weekend of fun, they realize there’s a new substitute who is a little off,” Lowenstrom said.
“Can the three of the friends discover their mysterious background on their new substitute or is he just plain weird?”
Zoewi was inspired to write “The Substitute” from her love for creative writing, Lowenstrom said, adding that Ximena and Zoewi collaborated together for weeks to write the original play that was inspired by the real-life experiences and personalities observed in their own sixth grade class.
Lowenstrom said she and the rest of the staff at Prescott Valley Charter School are proud of Zoewi and Ximena’s accomplishment, as well as their hard work and in the classroom.
“Ximena is an avid reader who is particularly fond of reading the ‘Dogman’ series. Zoewi has a passion for thinking, writing, reading and debate and loves to share her insights into many types of literature. She often shares her perspectives and real-life experiences with her classmates about a variety of topics,” she said.