Newtown Middle School students have one more working weekend before their creations for this year’s My Favorite Scarecrow Sculpture Contest go on view for the public on the front lawn of the school, 11 Queen Street.

Each year NMS eighth grade students are challenged to design and create a larger-than-life scarecrow that can withstand the elements. Students and community members cast their votes for their favorites in dollar donations. The money generated during the voting period is then split among the three top vote-getters and donated to the charities of the winners’ choice.

Scarecrow entries will be installed on the front lawn of NMS between the evening of Friday, October 23, and the morning of Saturday, October 24.

Ballots for the contest will be available at NMS and printed in the October 23 print edition of The Newtown Bee.

Voting will be open in person Saturday and Sunday, October 24-25, from 10 am until 5 pm. The public is invited to visit the front lawn of the middle school while students and parents are there to oversee voting booths those days.

Votes can also be dropped off at The Newtown Bee’s office at 5 Church Hill Road or at NMS’s B-Wing office while scarecrows are on view for the public.

NMS teachers Kristen Ciarletto and Leigh Anne Coles are overseeing the contest this year. They are hoping the public will be able to visit and vote on the scarecrow entries next weekend, while all are one on view.

Scarecrows will start to be removed from the front lawn at the school by Sunday evening, October 25. All will be completely removed, the teachers said, by Thursday, October 29.