Some of the area’s most creative young minds were commended for their remembrance-focused works on Dec. 18, when they were presented as winners of the Legion’s Poster and Literary Contests.
A ceremony at the Royal Canadian Legion Sylvan Lake saw students from Sylvan Lake and area awarded certificates for the Remembrance Day contests, which were divided into various categories.
Stunning, powerful and amazing are just some of the adjectives Poppy Chair and contests organizer Sharon Graham used to describe the works produced. The winning entries, she feels, were fully deserving of their awards.
“We have so much talent in this area,” she said. “Entries are judged professionally, so for them to win having that level of judging, they obviously are very good.”
Support from teachers is integral to the contests’ success, she added, and helps students pay tribute to Canada’s war dead through their work.
“We have some teachers in the area that are very good at encouraging the children to do these posters and literary entries,” she said. “It’s good for us to get those entries, but it’s good for all those students to remember. While they’re doing all this, they are remembering, and it means something to them.”
Winning entries from the Sylvan Lake branch will now be judged at the area level, with the chance to progress further to district and provincial levels.
A local Grade 2 student was a provincial winner last year, and Graham feels some of this year’s winners also have the potential to go all the way.
A number of works from this year’s contests will be displayed at the Sylvan Lake Legion throughout the month of November.
Winners are as follows:
Senior Black and White Poster (Grade 10-12)
1st - London Heninger, HJ Cody School
2nd - Emma Laqua, HJ Cody School
3rd - Taylor Bootsma, HJ Cody School
Senior Colour Poster (Grade 10-12)
1st - Gabrielle Lacroix, HJ Cody School
2nd - Serena Carmichael, HJ Cody School
3rd - Sophie Brooks, HJ Cody School
Intermediate Black and White Poster (Grade 7-9)
1st - Megan Koch, HJ Cody School
2nd - Alexandra DeJonge, HJ Cody School
3rd - Kendra Dale, HJ Cody School
Intermediate Colour Poster (Grade 7-9)
1st - McKenzie Tomkinson-Crowe, HJ Cody School
2nd - Kami Blondheim, HJ Cody School
3rd - Sydney King, HJ Cody School
Junior Black and White Poster (Grade 4-6)
1st - Parker Dale, CP Blakely School
2nd - Kohen Mykyte, Benalto School
3rd - Austin Molycka, Benalto School
Junior Colour Poster (Grade 4-6)
1st - Taylor Stauffer, Benalto School
2nd - Katie Craig, École Mother Teresa School
3rd - Rowann Rollinson, CP Blakely School
Primary Colour Poster (Grade K-3)
1st - Kiera VanWart, Sylvan Meadows Adventist School
2nd - Michael Davis, Sylvan Meadows Adventist School
3rd - Keira VonGunten, Sylvan Meadows Adventist School
Senior Poem (Grade 10-12)
1st - Breanna Tait, HJ Cody School
2nd - Kara Canning, HJ Cody School
3rd - Rene Krause, HJ Cody School
Intermediate Poem (Grade 7-9)
1st - Joshua Steel, HJ Cody School
2nd - Kendra Dale, HJ Cody School
3rd – McKenzie Tomkinson-Crowe, HJ Cody School
3rd – Tikvah MacIntyre, HJ Cody School
Intermediate Essay (Grade 7-9)
1st - Starla Fifield, HJ Cody School
2nd – Bronwyn Jones, HJ Cody School
3rd – Bryer Ternovoy, HJ Cody School
Junior Poem (Grade 4-6)
1st - Rhys Grant, CP Blakely School
2nd – Sarah McClelland, CP Blakely School
3rd – Jessica MacAuley, CP Blakely School
See another photo in this week's paper.