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WORDS
_ KIDS SAY THE WRITE
DARNDEST THINGS
City Council celebrates winners of the Sheri Capehart Animal Essay contest • By Donna Darovich
“M
Spring Creek Barbeque) and a Kindle Fire. ikey, our pet red-eared slider turtle talks to me in the Promoting responsible pet ownership is the focus of the weirdest way,” fourth grader Lucas Douglas noted in his competition, but it has also been a source of financial knowledge for entry for the 20th annual Sheri Capehart Animal Essay student winners and often their families. contest, as he tackled the assigned topic, “How do you think animals Part of the process has been for the students and their parents communicate with humans?” or guardians to come to the “When I drop 2 pellets of food EECU to receive and deposit down in his tank, he looks at me,” their $100 winnings in a savings he continued. “He doesn’t say a account. Often, Capehart says, the thing, then, at the corner of his Third Grade Division parents had not been in a bank eye, he sees some food, swims to it 1st place: Zoe Wolfe, Little Elementary environment, and many opened a (and) then says to me “food, food, 2nd place: Reagan Capps, Little Elementary checking or savings account for the food, gimme, gimme, gimme!” 3rd place: Cambry Lavigne, Little Elementary first time. He gets very excited. I used Fourth Grade Division “It is a significant ripple effect,” Temptations treats to test how my 1st place: Lucas Douglas, Homeschooled she says. “We want to get the kids cats talk to me. Most of them follow 2nd place: Abby Tettleton, Wood Elementary to think about what they might do me, but my cat Mary kept running 3rd place: Ryder Whitehead, Mary Moore Elementary after high school.” away playing. The cats mostly The essays were not graded, ignore us, but they do like to meow Fifth Grade Division 1st place: Nicole Wagner, Mary Moore Elementary but judged on the elements of and be petted, but only when they 2nd place: Riley Babb-Corley, Homeschooled “effective writing and responsible want to be.” 3rd place: Margot Shaffer, Mary Moore Elementary pet ownership.” Other topics dealt with a The contest was sponsored worldwide rule for dealing with Sixth Grade Division by Spring Creek Barbecue, the animals, how would having their 1st place: Madeleine Moore, Wood Elementary 2nd place: Adler Michener, Wood Elementary Educational Employees Credit own holiday work, and what might 3rd place: Liam Allen, Wood Elementary Union, UT Arlington Trio, the animal shelters look like in 2060? City of Arlington, and the city’s On the latter, Wood Elementary communications department. sixth grader Liam Allen suggested The City of Arlington Animal Services Center Advisory Board three new inventions, including an injection of “Old B Gone,” which selected finalists for each grade and final judging was done by guest will make an animal that is old for its breed five years younger. He judges Tabatha Knickerbocker and Carole Hoyer and Capehart. calls it “Youthanization.” The essays are all available to read on the City of Arlington website, First, second and third place winners receive a $100 savings account arlington-tx.gov. ($50 from Educational Employee Credit Union (EECU) and $50 from
THE WINNERS’ CIRCLE
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ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2021 • arlingtontoday.com
