Secretary of State Jim Condos is honoring the winners of the 2012 Vermont Secretary of Stateâ s Poster and Essay Contest today, Tuesday, May 22, at the State House in Montpelier.
As part of the awards celebration, contest winners toured the Vermont State House and the Vermont Historical Society or Supreme Court. At 12:15 p.m., in an award ceremony in the State House cafeteria, the first prize winning students were presented with a certificate and a $100 prize donated to each student's classroom to spend on civics education. There were also a number of honorable mentions for outstanding work.
"It was very difficult to select winners from the many fine essays and creative posters we received," stated Secretary Condos. "This program is a great way to get younger students thinking about their state and its history, while encouraging older students to examine the nature of self governance and its importance in a free society," said Condos.
The Vermont Secretary of Stateâ s Poster and Essay Contest is an annual event to promote awareness of Vermont history, the Vermont Constitution, and the importance of voting and democracy among students in Grades K-12.
The winning posters and essays may be viewed on theSecretaryof Stateâ s Kids Page website atwww.sec.state.vt.us
VermontSecretaryof State Jim Condos’Poster and Essay Contest
This yearâ s award recipients are:
Grades K-2:VermontSymbols Poster
Class Winner: BridgewaterVillageSchoolKindergarten
Deanne Fitzpatrick, Teacher
Individual Winner:Owen Stark,
CastletonElementary School, Jan Jones,
Mosaic Program Teacher
Honorable Mentions: Ella Kuehn and Olivia Shipley,
CastletonElementary School,
Jan Jones, Mosaic Program Teacher
Grades 3-5:VermontHistory Poster
Class Winner:MapleStreetSchool4thGrade,Manchester,
Amy Panitz, Teacher
Individual Winner: Austin Bruno,
CastletonElementary School,
Jan Jones, Mosaic Program Teacher
Honorable Mentions:: Morgan Daly and Olivia White,
LothropElementary School, Pittsford,
Justine Farrow, Art Teacher
Grades 6-8 Essay Topic: Rights and Responsibilities of Voters
Winner:Raphael Orleck-Jetter,
ThetfordAcademy, Stacy Barton, Teacher
Honorable Mention:Maci Prescott, Tommy Knockenhauer, and Molly Verespy,
GreenMountainUnionHigh School,Chester,
Ashley Carafiello, Teacher
Grades 9-12 Essay Topic: Young Adult Voter Engagement
Winner:Jonathan Liebman,
ChamplainValleyUnionHigh School, Hinesburg,
Ute Otley, Teacher
Honorable Mentions: Dana Kaufman, Thomas Keller and Grace Vincent,ChamplainValleyUnionHigh School, Hinesburg,
Ute Otley, Teacher