Nevada County Writing Tournament 7 & 8th Grades @ Miners Foundry NC

What

Nevada County Writing Tournament 7 & 8th Grades @ Miners Foundry NC

When

1/8/2026, 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Where

Miners Foundry Cultural Center, 325 Spring St, Nevada City, CA 95959, USA

Event: 7th & 8th Grade Writing Tournament
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026
Location: Miners Foundry Cultural Center, Stone Hall (325 Spring St., Nevada City)
Contact: Shannon Rashby, Tournament Coordinator ([email protected])

Schedule

8:30 am: Registration opens
9:15 am: Registration closes
9:20 am: Competition begins
Lunch: Provided (details below)
1:00 pm (approx.): Awards presentation
1:30 pm (approx.): Tournament concludes
Note: Please plan to stay until the tournament is adjourned.

Participation & Registration

Who: Students in grades 7 & 8.
School limit: Max 2 students from each grade level per school.
Alternates: One alternate may be designated. Alternates only need to attend if they
are competing.
Deadline: Participant names are due to NCSOS by 5:00 p.m. on December 16, 2025.
Permission: Signed parent/guardian permission forms are required for all
participants.
Registration: REGISTER HERE

Writing Categories

1. Informative/Explanatory: Listen to a speaker, then explain the process or event
in writing.
2. Creative Writing: Write a short story based on a prompt.
3. Letter Writing (Argument): Write a letter using standard block or modified
block format (examples included below).

NCSOS 380 Crown Point Circle, Grass Valley, CA 95945  Phone: 530-478-6400 Fax: 530-478-6410

Preparation & Materials

Provided: Pencils, pens, lined paper
Students may bring: Dictionary and/or thesaurus (if desired)
Prohibited: Phones and all other electronic devices may not be used during writing
segments.
Judging: Judges will use Smarter Balanced scoring rubrics.
Format: Skipping lines is recommended, in order for judges to easily read
handwriting (not required).

Scoring & Awards

Process:
1. Attending teachers will score papers.
2. Each paper is read and scored twice (by two different teachers) on a 1-10
scale (0.5 points allowed).
3. The two scores are added for a total (max score of 20).
4. A supervising teacher makes final decisions on any scoring disagreements.
Awards:
o Category awards: 1st - 5th place recognition for each of the three writing
categories.
o Overall award: A trophy is awarded to the student with the highest
cumulative score from all three rounds.

General Information & Rules

Chaperones: All student groups must be supervised by a credentialed adult for the
entire event. Chaperones are expected to assist with scoring.
Food: Lunch is provided for participants and one chaperone per school.
Anyone with special dietary needs should bring their own lunch.
Students may bring a snack for break time.
Downtime: Students should bring a quiet activity (e.g., book, puzzle).
Audience: Parents/guardians are discouraged during testing but are welcome to
attend the awards presentation.
Phones: Cell phones must be silenced and stored.
Competition: All events are on an individual basis; no school scores are kept.
Coaching: Coaching or tutoring students before the tournament is permitted.