Illustration Contest Open For

Community Conversation Logo

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Community Conversation on bullying has met for two meetings, and before the third meeting, members hope to have a logo. In an open illustration contest, any member of the community can submit an image they believe would remind viewers that “People are Nicer in Newtown.”

The deadline for the contest is Friday, May 1, and until that time people can pick up an entry at Reed Intermediate School or at the Board of Education’s office on Peck’s Lane. Official entry forms are also available at each school’s main office.

The top ten entries from four categories, kindergarten through fourth grade, fifth through eighth grade, ninth through twelfth grade, and adult, will be on display at Reed Intermediate School on Sunday May 16 from 9 am until 1 pm for the public to vote on. The top four winning illustrations will be used in a townwide promotion of caring and kindness among children and adults in Newtown.

 The entire contest is a “leap of faith,” according to Reed Intermediate School Assistant Principal Anthony Salvatore.

“We’re thinking [the logo] can be put on all the websites,” said Dr Salvatore, and added the logo and contest have room for growth.

For one example of potential growth for the winning logos, he said they could eventually be put on stamps for people to buy. Ideas for an annual contest are also being thrown around, he said. For now, he said, the fine details are still being worked on, and the primary focus is getting the contest off the ground.

Once entries have been completed, the entrants can drop them off at Reed Intermediate School, the Board of Education’s office at Peck’s Lane, or at The Newtown Bee.

The community conversation on bullying began when members of the Newtown public school system and members of the Newtown Prevention Council applied for a grant from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, the district was awarded $2,500 to hold meetings to further the discussion on the topic of bullying. The meetings are also sponsored by the Newtown Prevention Council and the Newtown Board of Education.

The first meeting of the conversation was held Saturday, January 31, and the second meeting was held Tuesday, March 24. The community conversation meetings are open to the public and center around the topic of bullying.

Dr Salvatore said after the second meeting it became clear that participants wanted something done, and the idea for a logo had been brought up during the second meeting.

“I kind of volunteered,” he said with a laugh when asked how he became in charge of putting the contest together.

The concept of the logo evolved from the old “Nicer in Newtown” slogan that had been brought up during the meetings. Dr Salvatore said the idea is for the logo to remind anyone who sees it to be nicer to each other.

The next step for the community conversation will be to present the meetings’ findings to the Newtown Prevention Council on May 21.