2014 Arbor Day School Poster Contest Winners

Isabella Garber, a fifth-grader at Newark's Christ the Teacher School, is the winner of the 2014 Arbor Day School Poster Contest sponsored by the Delaware Forest Service.
Isabella Garber, a fifth-grader at Newark’s Christ the Teacher School, is the winner of the 2014 Arbor Day School Poster Contest sponsored by the Delaware Forest Service.

The Delaware Forest Service has announced the winners of its annual Arbor Day School Poster Contest. The 2014 contest theme was “Trees are terrific… in cities and towns!” This year’s statewide winner is Isabella Garber, a fifth-grader at Christ the Teacher School in Newark. Her poster was judged the best overall on the following qualities: artistic expression, originality, neatness, and use of theme. The complete archive of this year’s winning posters is now available on the web. Direct link: http://delawaretrees.com/2014arbordaypostercontest.html

New Castle County Winners

Kindergarten:   Isaiah Ngugi—Kathleen Wilbur Elementary, Bear
Grades 1-2:      Jonathan Eppler—Jennie Smith Elementary, New Castle
Grades 3-4:      Maya Rigor — Christ the Teacher, Newark
Grade 5:            Isabella Garber—Christ the Teacher, Newark

Kent County Winners

Kindergarten:   Caden Marx — Major George Welch Elementary, Dover
Grades 1-2:       Holly Helsdon —  Nellie Hughes Stokes, Dover
Grades 3-4:      Taryn Martin— W.B. Simpson Elementary, Camden
Grade 5:            Juan Velasquez— Benjamin Banneker Elementary, Milford

Sussex County Winners

Kindergarten:   Tyler Hutt — Eagle’s Nest Christian School, Milton
Grades 1-2:        Samuel Winston —  Winston Learning Academy, Milford
Grades 3-4:        Rain Vasey —  Watergirl Farm Academy, Lincoln
Grade 5:              Stephan Venable  — Honor Academy, Milford

The 2014 Delaware Arbor Day Ceremony will take place (rain or shine) on May 14, 2014 at McIlvaine Early Childhood Center, 11 W. Walnut St, Magnolia, DE 19962. McIlvaine will be recognized as Delaware’s newest “Tree-rific School” by the Delaware Forest Service.

Governor Markell is scheduled to be on hand on May 14 to honor the 2014 student poster contest winners and also help unveil a brand-new arboretum at McIlvaine ECC that will become the centerpiece of the school’s tree-based curriculum initiatives. As a site for one of the First State’s pioneering Chinese language immersion programs, tree identification signs will also be in Chinese. The arboretum project was funded by a grant from the American Forest Foundation and its Project Learning Tree program, with additional help from Delaware’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.

The Delaware Arbor Day Ceremony will also help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the adoption of the American holly as Delaware’s state tree in May, 1939.

For more information about the 2014 Delaware Arbor Day School Poster Contest and 2014 Arbor Day activities, contact  Ashley Peebles, Delaware Forest Service Trainer-Educator, at (302) 698-4551 or by email: ashley.peebles@delaware.gov.