Benchmark School Wins Essay Contest

PHILADELPHIA—Award-winning producer Rand Snyderman of Imag-IN, a communications company, is pleased to announce in Upper Providence Township is the winner of its “Heart and Soul of Your School” Essay Contest.

The contest invited over 30 independent schools to have students describe the real essence of their school in 100 words or less, so that Imag-IN could depict it in their grand prize—a custom-produced video viewbook.

Benchmark is a co-ed day school for children 6 to 14 years of age, and committed to helping bright children with learning differences develop into confident strategic thinkers and problem-solvers.

Benchmark School students went over and above what was expected. With 27 heartfelt essays submitted, Benchmark was selected by the judges as the winner.

Joining Snyderman as a judge was educational consultant Andy Mozenter of Concentrics, a West Chester-based organizational development and strategic planning consulting firm.

Snyderman said, “We read many essays that demonstrated how much students respect their schools, but the depth of the responses from Benchmark was overwhelming.”

Mozenter added, “To read, in just a few choice words, how much these children value their school experience suggests to me that there is extraordinary partnering going on between educators and students and that Benchmark has established a psychologically safe environment for students to develop into confident learners.”

For the schools, the exercise was very worthwhile. Eleanor Wiley Gensemer, Ed. D., Head of Benchmark Middle School, knows there is a special “heart” to their school and a real sense of community, but she didn’t expect to see so many passionate responses from the students. She said, “This was a great opportunity to see the number of kids who feel good about the school. It was very encouraging for the teachers to see how positive the kids were. It was a real pat on our backs to read that the kids feel very proud to be here.”

Excerpts from some of the winning essays follow:

• Though the students at Benchmark all have learning differences we respect one another because everyone understands the trials each person must go through to be successful. At Benchmark there is an undercurrent of understanding. 

• Benchmark’s soul is the community because staff members and the students understand that we as a whole all learn differently and that makes the community stronger.

• This is special because I feel like the teachers actually care about helping you and really want you to be a success.

• Our community at Benchmark has something that most schools probably do not have. That is trust. Our community is built around trust. We have lockers without any doors.

The prize of a video viewbook -- a film-quality video -- will bring the soul of the school to life. Imag-IN will produce the video, with a target completion date by the end of the school semester in June 2012. The viewbook can be used in any way that benefits the school – as a memory piece for students and their families or as a promotional tool for recruitment purposes. The video viewbook will reflect the “Heart and Soul” essays and become a permanent record of the how the students feel about Benchmark.

This press release was provided by Benchmark School.