Aurelio’s Pizza, a family pizza tradition since 1959, is promoting the sharing of family traditions while working to increase writing proficiency across 4thgrade classrooms with the launch of its first annual Family Traditions Essay Contest.
Open to 4th grade classrooms in all school districts Aurelio’s serves, the 300-word essay contest gives students the opportunity to share their personal family traditions. The essay contest easily assimilates into the typical 4th grade classroom setting and includes lesson plans developed by teachers that are based on common core standards. The lesson plans include activities to help students with pre-writing, writing and editing.
Teachers must register their 4th grade classrooms at www.AureliosTraditions.com by September 9 in order to participate. Once all essays have been written, classroom teachers will narrow the selection of the essays their students create to the top three and will submit those three essays online no later than September 30, 2012.
Judging will take place October 1 through October 13, 2012 and will be based on essay length, originality of ideas, being on-topic and enjoyment of reading. Each participating 4th grade classroom is competing within its own district and there are three levels of prizes. First prize includes a private class pizza party for the winning essayists’ class, a free family dinner from Aurelio’s for that essayist and $100 gift card for room supplies for his/her teacher; 2nd prize includes free family dinner at Aurelio’s for the 2nd place essayist and a $50 gift card for room supplies for his/her teacher; and 3rd prize includes a free large pizza from Aurelio’s for the 3rd place essayist and a $50 gift card for room supplies for his/her teacher.
With a history as rich and entrenched in the community as the pizza it’s famous for, the very first Aurelio’s restaurant opened on Ridge Road in Homewood, IL as the pride and joy of Joseph A. Aurelio, Jr. who decided to give it a go as a restaurateur at the age of 26. With its legendary “old oven” dating back to 1959 in its Homewood location, Aurelio’s was a pioneer in the concept of the Family Pizzeria in the United States and helped to launch pizza into the American lexicon. Since that time, Aurelio’s has become one of Chicagoland’s claims to fame. And, transplanted Chicagoans all over the map have helped to bring their favorite pizzeria franchise to 43 cities across six states, growing a strong fan base for the taste of Aurelio’s. www.AureliosPizza.com
