Senator Witkos Hosts 6th Grade Essay Contest in Simsbury

From left to right: Caroline Barnes (Ethel Walker), Gabby Dunn (Ethel Walker), Charlene Kilcomons (Grade 6 Teacher, Latimer Lane School), Ellen Myer (Latimer Lane), Catherine Cantelmo (Latimer Lane), Marie Gannatti (Principal, St. Mary’s School), Lauren Melanson (St. Mary’s School), Terry Boulton (Senior Vice President, Simsbury Bank), Olivia Chappano (St. Mary’s School), State Senator Kevin Witkos, Emmett de Kanter (Tariffville School), Brock Dunn (Dean of the Ethel Walker School) Kevin Kurian (Tariffville), Layla Ennis (Tootin’ Hills), Scott Baker (Principal, Tariffville School) Jessica Zambuto (Tootin’ Hills).

Simsbury – State Senator Kevin Witkos (R-Canton) hosted an essay contest ceremony with sixth grade students from five area schools, including the Ethel Walker School, Latimer Lane Elementary School, St. Mary’s School, Tariffville Elementary School and Tootin’ Hills Elementary School at the Simsbury Bank main office on Wednesday, June 12th. The event was hosted in partnership with Simsbury Bank which presented awards for the winning and runner-up essays.

“My intent in holding this contest was to raise awareness of the many great United States presidents in our country’s history,” said Senator Witkos. “I also wanted to give these young writers the opportunity to research some of the lesser-known, but equally important achievements of the past leaders of our nation. Whether you wrote the essay as a class assignment or on a voluntary basis, please know that all of you have done a great job and I am proud of each of you.”

The topic was “Who is Your Favorite United States President and Why?” Below is a list of the winners and runners-up from each school:

The Ethel Walker School

Caroline Barnes – Winner
Gabby Dunn – Runner-up

Latimer Lane Elementary School

Ellen Myer – Winner
Catherine Cantelmo – Runner-up

St. Mary’s School

Lauren Melanson – Winner
Olivia Chappano – Runner-up

Tariffville Elementary School

Emmett de Kanter – Winner
Kevin Kurian – Runner-up

Tootin’ Hills Elementary School

Layla Ennis – Winner
Jessica Zambuto – Runner-up

“I would like to congratulate the young writers who invested their time and effort into crafting these informative and well-written essays,” said Terry Boulton, Senior Vice President and Simsbury Senior Market Manager of the Simsbury Bank. “Simsbury Bank has been a proud partner in our community for 18 years, and I look forward to supporting similar educational events in the future.”

At the event, winners and runners-up each read their essay and received a citation from the Connecticut General Assembly. Simsbury Bank also generously presented Barnes and Noble gift cards to each of the students in the amounts of $50 for the winners and $25 for the runners-up.

Caroline Barnes from the Ethel Walker School wrote about Abraham Lincoln for his role in abolishing slavery, his honest character and his role in ending the Civil War.

Gabby Dunn from the Ethel Walker School wrote about Theodore Roosevelt and his personal journey to becoming president.

Ellen Myer from Latimer Lane Elementary School wrote about Bill Clinton who served during a period of economic growth, low unemployment rates and lower crime rates.

Catherine Cantelmo from Latimer Lane Elementary School wrote about Franklin D. Roosevelt for being a fearless leader who helped bring our country out of the Great Depression.

Lauren Melanson from St. Mary’s School wrote about John F. Kennedy for being the youngest and the first Roman Catholic President whose term in office was cut short.

Olivia Chappano from St. Mary’s School wrote about Abraham Lincoln because of his role in abolishing slavery and for his integrity, leadership and honest character.

Emmett de Kanter from Tariffville Elementary School wrote about Franklin D. Roosevelt for being a fearless and inspiration president who overcame personal obstacles.

Kevin Kurian from Tariffville Elementary School wrote about Abraham Lincoln because of his role in abolishing slavery, ending the Civil War and uniting the nation.

Layla Ennis from Tootin’ Hills Elementary School wrote about George H.W. Bush because he created policies that affect her life directly, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Jessica Zambuto from Tootin’ Hills Elementary School wrote about Thomas Jefferson’s role in the Louisiana Purchase, the Declaration of Independence and the creation of political parties.

The students were joined by their parents, grandparents, school administrators, teachers and members of the public who gathered to recognize their accomplishments.

“I would like to thank all the students, parents, teachers, and principals of the Simsbury schools who are with us tonight,” continued Senator Witkos. “I want to extend a sincere thanks to Simsbury Bank and Trust for partnering with me on this contest. They are generously providing Barnes and Noble gift cards to the winners and runners-up.”

Simsbury Bank is an independent, local bank for consumers and businesses. The Bank has approximately $350 million in assets. The Bank serves customers through full-service offices in Avon, Bloomfield, Granby and Simsbury, Connecticut; a mortgage loan production office in Canton and mortgage loan originators throughout Connecticut; Simsbury Bank Online internet banking at simsburybank.com; free ATM transactions at hundreds of machines throughout the northeastern U.S. via the SUM program; and 24 hour telephone banking. The Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, SBT Investment Services, Inc., offers securities and insurance products through LPL Financial and its affiliates, Member FINRA/SIPC. Simsbury Bank is wholly owned by publicly traded SBT Bancorp, Inc. Its stock is traded over-the-counter under the ticker symbol of OTCBB: SBTB. For more information, please visit www.SimsburyBank.com.