The award-winning students (left to right): Dean Rodman, Jennifer Laundrie, Sarah McCabe, Marci Imbrenda, Molly Timmins, and English teacher Joyce Cini. The Garden City Middle School is pleased to announce that its literary magazine, the Dead Poets' Society Journal, has been recognized as "Superior" by the National Council of Teachers of English. Kent Williamson, Executive Director of NCTE, writes, "It is my pleasure to inform you that your school's literary magazine... received a rank of Superior - Nominated for the Highest award... A total of 489 schools entered the 2008 program with 92 magazines nominated for the highest award... The NCTE congratulates you and the students who produced this exemplary literary magazine."

The Dead Poets' Society is an extracurricular activity at Garden City Middle School for sixth, seventh and eighth grade students with writing and artistic talent. "Our mission," commented English teacher and Faculty Advisor Joyce Cini, "is to publish student poems, stories, and art for the enjoyment of the Garden City Middle School community and to encourage the growth and development of writing skills and creativity among our students."

Ms. Cini, hoping not to be disappointed, secretly entered last year's Dead Poets Society Journal into the NCTE competition. When the awards were announced, Garden City Middle School was one of only two middle schools in New York State nominated for the "Superior - Nominated for Highest Award" recognition.