Third grade winners about to become media darlings.
Nearly 100 third and fourth graders from Piscataquis Community Elementary School in Guilford were challenged to create an advertisement for Valley Grange as part of the annual “Newspapers in Education” Program. This is the third year the Grange has sponsored the program. Students have an opportunity to become “Honorary Assistant Publicity Directors” according to Walter Boomsma, Program and Publicity Director for Valley Grange. Thanks to WABI-TV5’s support of community and school events, these young scholars not only learned about print advertising, they got to experience a bit of television as well during the assembly conducted by Boomsma to announce the winners.
Boomsma pointed out “everyone who participated is winner” and the grange provides “thank you magnets you can use to hold your school papers on the fridge.” He also told the Channel Five team that the Grange was particularly pleased that nearly every ad included a reading theme and dictionaries, reflecting the students’ appreciation for the Grange’s Bookworm and Words for Thirds Program. “Our goal with the kids is to create a love of reading and learning. These ads suggest we’re achieving it.”
Fourth Grade Winners show off their certificates
Third Grade winners announced at the recent school assembly conducted by the grange included Olivia Riitano (3rd), Jemyni True (2nd), and Megan Beckwith (1st). Megan’s first place drawing included the poem, “”Reading is important especially for a test and if you read once a day, you really are the best.” Four grade winners included Ashley Nanney (3rd), Alison Quimby (2nd), and Ethan Chadwick (1st). Ethan explained to WABI TV-5 news reporter Laura Roberts that he loves to read because “It’s a way to express your imagination. You can go into a different world if you’re having a hard time anywhere.”
All of the winners refused to give an acceptance speech with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but most were “media darlings” when interviewed by the news team. At least one suggested that the “best part of winning is seeing myself on TV.”
The ads selected as first place winners will appear in the Newspapers in Education supplement of the Piscataquis Observer on March 30th. In addition, winning ads are used on the grange’s promotional material throughout the year.
Valley Grange Master Jim Annis noted that Grange Bookworms will be at PCES next week to celebrate Agriculture in Maine by reading and conducting agriculture related activities with twelve classes. “We just love being at the school,” he noted.
For those who missed the coverage, you can check out the story on the WABI website.
Walter Boomsma
Valley Grange #144 