Poetry and Essay Contest

Since 1986, the Woman’s Club of Upper Saddle River has proudly sponsored a Poetry & Essay Contest for Upper Saddle River Schools students in grades 1 through 8.

2025’s Writing Prompt is…

What is the best gift you ever gave someone? It is often said that giving is much better than receiving:

  • Think about a time you gave someone a meaningful gift
  • Use your best writing strategies to tell the story of the best gift you have ever given
  • Tell your readers who you gave it to, and what the recipient’s reaction was
  • Did they know it was from your or did you give it anonymously?
  • Write about why this gift was so special and what it meant to both of you
  • Your story doesn’t have to be about the most expensive or flashy gift. It’s about the thought, feeling or impact behind it.

A topic is selected and shared with students, administrators, teachers, and parents. Participants have approximately one month to complete their submissions, which are then judged anonymously by members of the Woman’s Club. Winners are notified and invited—along with their families and school staff—to a club meeting where they present their winning pieces. The entries are displayed in the library, and the names of the winners are engraved on Contest plaques at each school.

Winners of our contest move on to the New Jersey State Women’s Clubs Youth Creative Writing Contest, with the opportunity to advance even further to the National level through the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

See our past Awards nights here

Contest Rules

  • You may enter an Essay, a Poem—or Both
  • Entries are judged by grade-level groupings: Grades 1–2, Grades 3–4, Grades 5–6, and Grades 7–8.
  • Poetry and essay submissions are evaluated separately within each group.

Reynolds Grades 1 & 2

  • We welcome age appropriate entries that can include a drawing with a few sentences addressing the Writing Prompt.
  • Your entry may be typed or hand-written, and done on any kind of paper including primary lined paper with space for an illustration above the writing. It must be neat and legible.
  • Your entry must have a separate title page. This title page must include your name, the title of your entry, your home address, your phone number, and a parent’s name and email, your school, your grade, and your teacher’s name.
  • **Parent emails are important because winners will be notified by email**

Bogert & Cavallini

  • Entries may be submitted through our Google Form online. Your teacher will direct you.
  • Entries submitted from home may use the online form or be typed or hand-written, but must be neat and legible.
  • Your entry must have a separate title page. This title page must include your name, the title of your entry, your home address, your phone number, and a parent’s name and email, your school, your grade, and your teacher’s name.
  • **Parent emails are important because winners will be notified by email**

 You may drop off entries at the assigned box in the Library or mail entries to:

Woman’s Club of Upper Saddle River

ATTN: Poetry and Essay Contest

P.O. Box 645

Saddle River, NJ 07458

We congratulate all the students who did an amazing job reading their winning words, and we thank the USR Library for the use of their space. We look forward to next year!