Staff report
The SPIAA Big Read project competition concluded on January 15 at Kiowa County, with each league school submitting ten entries. Kiowa County Junior High 8th grade students excelled, earning multiple medals for their outstanding work:
Grayson Ballard: Gold, nonfiction essay + award of excellence
Dallas Derley: Gold, artwork drawing + award of excellence
Charlee Jantz: Bronze, metal artwork
Delaney Little: Gold, textile + award of excellence
Addison Minyard: Gold, STEM welding
Jack Minyard: Silver, woodwork
Myles Mitchell: Bronze, 3D artwork
Lincoln Piester: Silver, 3D artwork
Jemma Ploger: Silver, 3D artwork
Cy Yost: Bronze, metal artwork
Winning projects will be displayed at United Wireless Arena in Dodge City during the SPIAA League Basketball Tournament, running January 27–February 1. Student award winners were honored between the junior high girls’ and boys’ games on January 23 at Kiowa County.
The 2024-2025 SPIAA Big Read focused on Holocaust literature, a poignant theme that examined one of history’s darkest periods through a variety of texts and media. Kiowa County 8th grade students in Mrs. Ballard’s class engaged with age-appropriate materials, reading the novel Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz and other excerpts from novels, survivor testimonies, and short stories.
As part of the project, Kiowa County Schools hosted the league’s schools in November, where students viewed White Bird at the Twilight Theater. Based on R.J. Palacio’s graphic novel, the film tells the story of a Jewish girl hidden during World War II. This unique opportunity was made possible through a grant from the Community Foundation of Southwest Kansas, a consistent supporter of the Big Read.
Launched in 2016, the SPIAA Big Read began as a collaborative initiative among league English teachers, initially featuring To Kill a Mockingbird. Over the years, the program has expanded to include books such as Fahrenheit 451, Rocket Boys, and Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project. With a junior high division added after its first year, the Big Read continues to foster academic excellence and inter-school collaboration through its evolving focus on literature, genre, and themes.
