Student Designed T-Shirts Raise Money For Newtown Orchestra

By Eliza Hallabeck

Reed Intermediate School student-designed T-shirts are now being sold at the school to raise money for the Newtown Orchestra Scholarship Fund.

A group of teachers and parents chose the top five designs of 30 submitted T-shirt designs from students in fifth through twelfth grade. The top five designs were created by fifth grader Ashley Lynch, seventh grader Abigail Kohler, sixth grader Kate Luongo, twelfth grader Melanie Petrella, and eighth grader Sara Lampel. After being chosen, the designed were voted on by Newtown students. Melanie Petrella’s design was the top vote getter.

“Her shirt won at every grade level. It was the first choice of all the kids,” said Reed Intermediate School music teacher Mardi Smith, who had the idea for the contest and T-shirt fundraiser. Ms Smith is overseeing the project Denise Rodrigues, who she said was instrumental in creating the T-shirt contest.

The T-shirts are being printed by Newtown High School’s graphics department, so Ms Smith says it is a completely Newtown project.

T-shirts are printed in groups of 50 and are being sold through order forms at a NHS, Reed, and Newtown Middle School. Anyone in Newtown can order a T-shirt by contacting Ms Smith at msmith@newtown.k12.ct.us or Ms Rodrigues at drodrigues@newtown.k12.ct.us for order forms.

Sweatshirts and crewneck T-shirts are also available to order.

Order forms and more information is also available online at www.newtown.k12.ct.us/ris/site/common/files/orchestrashirts.pdf.