Mr. Schunk and Isabelle’s classmates admiring her achievement
Isabelle Masbate 1st grade student in Mrs. Absolom-Coole’s class was the grand prize winner in State Department contest
First Grade SAS Student Wins A-OK Art Competition
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un by the U.S. Department of State since 1986, the A-OK Program, Alert Overseas Kids, provides security and safety information to American children living overseas. An annual competition is held to encourage children to form their own personal messages about safety and security issues. In January, Isabelle Masbate and her family were delighted to learn that Isabelle’s artwork had won the grand prize in this year’s contest and was gracing the cover of the 2005 A-OK Calendar. Isabelle is a first grade student in Sarah Absolom-Coole’s class. Isabelle’s parents described the design process Isabelle went through in making her prize-winning poster about keeping kids safe overseas: “She first started with the family, and the concept of the parents being the primary protector of their children, thus the Mom and Dad protecting the kids in the center with their arms enveloping their world. She remembered the saying in Lilo and Stitch, one which we also always remind her of - to stick together, stay together, and learn together as a family, or, in the Disney movie version, ‘Ohana means family. Nobody gets left behind.’ We always caution her to stick together, as a family, especially when traveling. Next, she thought of her friends. Isabelle, being a Brownie, thought of it in the context of Girl Scouting. She sees a group of friends empowered to solve problems of their own, together, as a group. Then, she thought about the school, and
how SAS is conducting fire drills now and then. She knows about the meaning and importance of these practices, even including the lockin procedure. She thought about the School Nurse, and the First Aid book that she saw in her Office. She drew the knot which she thinks is indispensable to the Nurse when treating wounded kids. Lastly, the Government. This concept is quite abstract for her, though she is very aware of the guards and Gurkhas in the school and soldiers fighting in Iraq against terrorism. She also knows the importance of the soldiers’ presence. She then thought of the nationality of the soldiers fighting in Iraq, thus, the American flag. Next, came the flag of Singapore, which, according to her, shows the friendship between soldiers fighting in Iraq and the Gurkhas guarding in SAS. She said, ‘They all protect us.’ To top off her drawing, she drew the hearts, as a symbol of the parents’ love for their children. Hearts are her most favorite fixture in almost all of her artwork and letters to her family and friends. She is very affectionate and loves to show that through the hearts.”
Congratulations Isabelle! Congratulations also to 3rd grade student Ellard Portman, in Mrs. Shaw’s class, who also had his artwork published in the calendar