5/16/2007
Shadow Hills Elementary student's creativity gets national recognition
BOISE - Hours of practicing his artwork paid off for 11-year-old Ben Johnson when he received a national award in a poster contest.
Johnson, a fifth-grade student at Shadow Hills Elementary, took second place in the "One Nation on the Move, National Transportation Week 5th Grade Poster Contest."
"When I found out it was a national contest, I was pretty amazed and shocked," Johnson said Wednesday, and that his goal was to create something unique.
"I wanted it to be original," he said. "I wanted it to be different."
Ben will receive a $100 savings bond. Shadow Hills will receive a $200 prize. The school, at 8301 W. Sloan St. in Boise, is hosting a ceremony on Friday morning, May 18, at 10 a.m. in the school's library to recognize the accomplishment.
Kandi McAlister, Ben's teacher, said this was the third year her fifth-grade class entered the contest. This year, there were a record-breaking 345 entries nationwide.
"We introduced it and talked about it and brainstormed and did some sketching," McAlister said of the artistic process. "They worked on it for a good four weeks."
Ben's poster features cartoon drawings of several states on a highway. Idaho, colored purple, is sporting a pair of sunglasses as it rides a bike. Other states are skateboarding, rollerblading or using a scooter.
McAlister, who has been teaching at Shadow Hills for 12 years, said the contest allowed Ben to highlight his ability.
"He's really super-talented," she said.
National Transportation Week is held each year in May. The event is designed to give Americans the opportunity to celebrate the benefits of transportation. This year, 500 schools were invited to participate.
To view Ben's poster, visit:
http://www.ntweek.org/images/images/2ndplace2007.jpg
Johnson, a fifth-grade student at Shadow Hills Elementary, took second place in the "One Nation on the Move, National Transportation Week 5th Grade Poster Contest."
"When I found out it was a national contest, I was pretty amazed and shocked," Johnson said Wednesday, and that his goal was to create something unique.
"I wanted it to be original," he said. "I wanted it to be different."
Ben will receive a $100 savings bond. Shadow Hills will receive a $200 prize. The school, at 8301 W. Sloan St. in Boise, is hosting a ceremony on Friday morning, May 18, at 10 a.m. in the school's library to recognize the accomplishment.
Kandi McAlister, Ben's teacher, said this was the third year her fifth-grade class entered the contest. This year, there were a record-breaking 345 entries nationwide.
"We introduced it and talked about it and brainstormed and did some sketching," McAlister said of the artistic process. "They worked on it for a good four weeks."
Ben's poster features cartoon drawings of several states on a highway. Idaho, colored purple, is sporting a pair of sunglasses as it rides a bike. Other states are skateboarding, rollerblading or using a scooter.
McAlister, who has been teaching at Shadow Hills for 12 years, said the contest allowed Ben to highlight his ability.
"He's really super-talented," she said.
National Transportation Week is held each year in May. The event is designed to give Americans the opportunity to celebrate the benefits of transportation. This year, 500 schools were invited to participate.
To view Ben's poster, visit:
http://www.ntweek.org/images/images/2ndplace2007.jpg