State Essay And Poster Contests Have Local Winners

The office of the Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz honored two local students for their entries in the State of Connecticut’s 10th Annual Poster Contest and 13th Annual Essay Contest.

The poster contest was open to fifth graders throughout the state. The theme of the poster contest was “Citizenship in My Community.” More than 1,000 posters were received. From those entries, judges selected five winners from each of the Connecticut’s five Congressional districts.

Kathryn D’Alessandro was one of the five selected for the Fifth Congressional District. She is a fifth grade student at St Rose School. Her class participated in the contest and their posters were sent in several months ago.

The winners were invited to a special awards ceremony Monday, May 21, held at the State Capital in the Old Judiciary Room. Each of the students received a certificate with the State seal along with a few prizes, including a biography of Ella Grasso signed by Ms Bysiewicz, and a Barnes & Noble gift card.

The Secretary of the State spoke to the children about citizenship in their communities, the importance of being involved, and the importance of voting. She then called them up individually to present their certificates and prizes. The ceremony concluded with refreshments and a tour of the State Capitol.

Abby Winters Honored For Essay

On Friday, May 15, Ms Bysiewicz presented awards to the winners of the 13th Annual Essay Contest. More than 1,000 fourth graders from across Connecticut submitted essays this year. Students were asked to write about a unique place in Connecticut and why they would recommend this place to someone visiting the state.

Abbi Winters, who attends Hawley Elementary School, was chosen for her essay about the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. Abbi was one of a dozen Hawley students who participated in the contest.

The top five essays covered a wide range of attractions: a flea market in New Milford, the beach at Hammonassett State Park in Madison, the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, and the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford.

“The voting age may be 18, but that doesn’t mean young people have to wait until their 18th birthday to get involved and start thinking about how to have an impact in their community,” said Ms Bysiewicz. “It is my hope that this essay contest will inspire students to appreciate what Connecticut has to offer and think about how they can help protect, and even improve, the things that they love most.”

Five winning essays were selected from each of Connecticut’s five congressional districts. Each set of winning essays consisted of a first, second, and third place winner, along with two students who received honorable mention. Every student honored at Friday’s event received a $25 gift certificate from Barnes & Noble bookstore.