WESTPORT–Staples High School’s literary magazines, Soundings and QED, have been awarded the rank of Superior in the 2025 Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) contest, an annual competition run by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the district announced today.

The awards honor school literary magazines in four categories: REALM First Class, Superior, Excellent and Distinguished. 

Publications are evaluated by a national panel of judges on several criteria, including the quality of the literary writing, the variety of genres featured, the excellence of the art and graphic design and the overall editorial layout.

“The award highlights the diverse creative talent at Staples High School, as the students are entirely responsible for the magazines’ success, overseeing everything from the initial call for submissions to the final technical production,” the district said in a release announcing the award.

Editor-in-Chief Allison Cancro ’25, along with Associate Editors Eva Slossberg ’26 and Jack Robinson ’26, produced the magazines under the guidance of faculty advisor Kim Herzog, to provide a vital platform for student voices through poetry, prose and visual art.

“From its founding in 1947 to this 2025 Superior ranking, Soundings has always been about student voice,” Herzog said. “I am so proud of our editors—Allison, Eva, and Jack—for maintaining that high standard of excellence. They handle everything from the initial submissions to the technical production, and this accolade from the NCTE is a well-deserved testament to their hard work and creativity.”

Staples High School students founded the Soundings literary magazine in 1947, making it the oldest club at Staples. For more than 75 years, the publication has remained a cornerstone of student life, and that legacy of expression continues today with both Soundings and its sister publication, QED.

The NCTE established the REALM program to publicly recognize the best student literary magazines in the United States, Canada and American schools abroad, encouraging schools to develop publications that build community and provide an outlet for creative expression.

At Staples, all students are welcome to join the magazine staff at any point in the year. Students interested in contributing to this award-winning tradition can find more information on becoming a member at the official Soundings website.