Area students take top honors in Missouri Bar essay contest

Students from  the Ralls R-2 School district won in the 19th annual Law Day Essay Contest, which drew more than 300 entries.  Brett Peters, Bradie Hamilton and Deryk Thompson each wrote one of nine winning essays. Peters was the first-place winner, Hamilton was the second-place winner and Thompson was the third-place winner in grades four and five.
Sponsored by the Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Section and the Missouri National Education Association, the contest required students to write essays of 700 words or less responding to the question, “How do laws help or hurt a free society?”
Peters received a $300 U.s. savings bond, Hamilton, a $200 bond and Thompson, a $150 bond at an awards ceremony at the Missouri Bar Law Day banquet, May 9. Each also received a plaque recognizing their accomplishments.
Missouri NEA represents 34,000 teachers and other public school employees in school districts across the state. It is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association.