Five students in PEGS - Program for Exceptionally Gifted Students and Rose Acres Elementary School fifth grader Samy Nekka held a book signing after they were named winners and finalists in the St. Louis Writers Guild Young Writers Contest and had their stories published in a collection.

PEGS fourth grader Levi Dukes received third place for his story. Students named as finalists were fourth graders Pearl Kreiger, Andrew Meyer-Tuter and John Quinn and fifth graders Donald McCullough and Nekka. 

On Dec. 21, students signed copies of the book and read aloud their story that began with the opening line of "Along the river ..."

After listening to “The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin,” first graders in Lisa Stahlhut’s class completed a pumpkin STEM challenge with Rungsee Suvansri in the STEM lab at Rose Acres Elementary School. 

The task was to create a non-round pumpkin using pipe cleaners and Apple Jacks cereal pieces. Students had to write a plan and come up with alternative shapes in their design.