Senator Witkos Presents Awards to 6th Grade Essay Contest Winners
June 9, 2010
Richard Bahre of Simsbury Bank, Katelyn Paddock, Maeve Reynolds, Olivia Coe, Allison May, Mikalya Bibbins, Lian Nicholson, Nellie Speers & Sen. Kevin Witkos.
At an awards ceremony held at the Apple Barn at Simsbury Farms on June 3rd State Senator Kevin Witkos, R-8, presented eight local elementary school students with savings bonds for their winning essays in celebration of Connecticut’s 375th Anniversary. Sponsored by Simsbury Bank, the Simsbury 6th Grade Essay Contest included participation from four schools and focused on famous people in Connecticut’s history. In addition to receiving their award, each student read their essay aloud to those on hand.
“This contest showcased the talents of so many young individuals and they all deserve our praise and congratulations," said Sen. Witkos. "These students will remember this experience when they are older as well as the important contributions people have made in shaping Connecticut’s history. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to be a part of this essay contest and I thank Simsbury Bank for sponsoring the prizes in Simsbury.”
The four schools that participated in the contest were the four schools that participated were: Tariffville Elementary, Squadron Line, Tootin’ Hills Elementary and Ethel Walker. The winners are:
| School | Student | Essay Topic |
| Tootin’ Hills Elementary School | Maeve Reynolds, 1st prize | Harriett Beecher Stowe |
| Kathleen Quinlan, 2nd prize | Lorrin Alanson Cooke | |
| Tariffville School | Mikalya Bibbins, 1st prize | P. T. Barnum |
| Katelyn Paddock, 2nd prize | William Gillette | |
| Squadron Line School | Olivia Coe, 1st prize | Noah Webster & Harriett Beecher Stowe |
| Allison May, 2nd prize | Harriett Beecher Stowe | |
| The Ethel Walker School | Nellie Speers, 1st prize | Margaret Fogarty Rudkin |
| Lian Nicholson, 2nd prize | Nathan Hale | |
First prize winners each received a $100 US EE Savings bond and the runner ups each received a $50 bond from Simsbury Bank. Richard Bahre, Senior Banking Specialist with Simsbury Bank, congratulated students as they accepted their awards and said “Simsbury Bank is proud to be a part of teaching children history and making it fun. We all learned some interesting historical facts this evening. The teachers and students did a great job on this project. Congratulations to all of the winners.”
For further information please contact John Titsworth (JT) at 860-240-8843 or 860-877-3543
As appeared in the Foothills Trader.