Education Matters: Winners announced in contest celebrating sweet corn, pumpkin pie

Nearly 200 students participated in Rep. Jerry Costello II’s coloring contest to celebrate the state’s two newest symbols — sweet corn and pumpkin pie.

“The response to the coloring contest was overwhelming,” said Costello, D-Smithon. “I’m so glad that so many students were able to engage with our new state symbols. Due to high number of entries, we’ve expanded the winners to better recognize the awesome efforts of our students.”

First place winners receive a pizza party for their classrooms, and all winners will have their pictures displayed at Costello’s constituent service office in Red Bud.

Monroe County winners were as follows: Emma Tyler, Immaculate Conception, Columbia; Erica Runge, Gardner Elementary, Waterloo; and Orion Earhart, Saints Peter and Paul Catholic, Waterloo.

St. Clair County winners were: Chiara Hendrix, Smithton Elementary, Smithton; and Jayden Webb, Penniman Elementary, Cahokia

Belleville East takes on Gettysburg

Nearly 50 Belleville East students and teachers spent Veteran’s Day on the road to Gettysburg, Penn., and Harper’s Ferry.

The American Studies class, taught by Katie Hoerner and Becky McGarrity, is a joint honors English and history class.

Before going to Gettysburg, the students learned the history from Hoerner and read “The Killer Angels” about the Battle of Gettysburg.

Girl Scouts rack up sales

More than 4,000 girls and their families sold almost $644,000 of nuts, candies and magazines for the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. Top seller was Cooper Rutledge, of Glen Carbon.

Regional top sellers were Elisabeth Preston, of Wood River, Rileigh Henke, of Moro, Edyn Richie, of Belleville, Lynn Shirley, of Summerfield, Alexis Clair, of Collinsville, Carre Renee Webster, of Granite City, Olivia McGeehan, of Fairview Heights, Bradyn Kremers, of Granite City, Megan Helm, of Highland, Amelia Analla, of Millstadt, Chelsea Sinn, of Freeburg, Delaney Hall, of Lebanon, and Jenna Hoeffken, of Waterloo.

The Girl Scouts say the nut, candy and magazine sales teach girls five valuable life skills — goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. Proceeds go the Girl Scouts, serving about 14,000 girls in the area.

Elementary students re-enact First Thanksgiving

First-graders as pilgrims and second-graders as Native Americans shared a feast on the Tuesday before the Thanksgiving break at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Waterloo. They shared foods that were at the first Thanksgiving. Students made costumes from paper to reflect their roles at the meal.

Staff, administrators serve Thanksgiving meal

More than 135 students from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School were treated to a Thanksgiving meal a couple days early in East St. Louis last week.

CHS assistant director Willis Young provided turkey, parents provided desserts and the dressing, candied yams, string beans, corn, macaroni and cheese, and more came from the CHS lunch. Administrators and staff served the meal.

“This is our third year providing a Thanksgiving dinner for our students,” said Gina Washington, CHS director. “It was the idea of Mr. Young for the Charter High School to send our students home full of good food, fellowship and joy for the holiday season.

“We also gave away five Thanksgiving Day food baskets to selected CHS parents,” Washington said. “The food was donated by CHS students, faculty and administrators.”

The SIUE Charter High School is a school-of-choice for families in the East St. Louis School District 189. The mission of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students who are career- and college- ready upon graduation.

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Education Matters: Winners announced in contest celebrating sweet corn, pumpkin pie."