Tacoma students showed their green side as well as their artistic side when they entered the 2008 EnviroChallenger/EnviroKids Earth Day art contest. More than 200 students entered the contest, which asked elementary and middle school students to show how they use the five R’s — reduce, reuse, recycle, respect and responsible — at home, at school and in their community. The 5R’s are taught to students by the City of Tacoma’s two EnviroChallenger educators.
The work of each of the nine winners, and many of the other entrants, can be seen at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/envirokids . Also, a poster of the winning pieces will be on display at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Tacoma Nature Center and each of Tacoma’s library branches.
The winners are:
Grades K-2 Division
First place, Tivina Colley-Esslinger, first grade, Jefferson Elementary
Second place, Samantha Smolinski, second grade, Browns Point Elementary
Third place, Ciarra Bernhoft, second grade, Point Defiance Elementary
Grades 3-5 Division
First place, Alexis Takara, third grade, Browns Point Elementary
Second place, Emma Thorp, fifth grade, Lister Elementary
Third place, Virginia Kingsbury, fifth grade, Lister Elementary
Grades 6-8 Division
First place, Linny Tau, eighth grade, Life Christian Academy
Second place, Margaret Rupert, eighth grade, Truman Middle School
Third place, Kyley Larson, seventh grade, Stewart Middle School
The contest was sponsored by the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Tacoma Rainiers, and the Tacoma Public Library.