News : Shellsburg VFW essay winners honored

Caleb Janko won first place in the Shellsburg 3rd grade VFW Auxiliary Essay Contest.

On Friday, January 4, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary 8884 members Jeanette Henry and Donna Roepke and VFW Commander of 8884 Dale Henry went to the Shellsburg Elementary School to present medals and ribbons to the third and 5th grade students who took part in our VFW Ladies Auxiliary Essay contests.

Themes were "I love America Because..." for third graders and "My Definition of Patriotism is…" for fifth graders. Essays were judged on originality, content and neatness, with retired teachers and other outstanding citizens as judges.
All participants received a ribbon and certificate, which was laminated with their essay on the back. Winners received medals (1st through 7th place) and the first place winners received a plaque and advance to district competition.
Both of the Shellsburg winners Caleb Janko (third grade) and Zandalee Graves (fifth grade) won the district competition and advanced to the Iowa competition.
Participants and winners included:

THIRD GRADE PARTICIPANTS: IZAIAH KICKEL; TYLER CROMER;DREW KOTTKE;CLAIRE BOOTH;KORTNEY ETTEN;KINZLEY KURTH;RYKER GARDEMANN;MAVERICK RILEY;MADELYNN MOORMANN;JOHNNY HOYLE;CARTER LUBBOCK;MEGAN HENDRICKSON;ISAAC STADELMANN;LUCAS MAYNARD;NATALIE ARMSTRONG;ZACHARY FARE;MADISON TIPPETTS;ISABEL MULLINEX. 7TH PLACE:BRYNN PATTERSON; 6TH PLACE:ALEXIS RUMEL HART-BOX; 5TH PLACE:HANNAH CRANE; 4TH PLACE: BRADY ORTNER; 3RD PLACE:EMMA MCDANIEL; 2ND PLACE:LEAH HENDRICKSON; 1ST PLACE:CALEB JANKO.

5TH GRADE: KARRI CLEMEN; DREW ELWICK; TARYN SUTTON; BROC SHAW; HALEY CLARK; KAILEY LAZENBY; AMELIA BIRKER;CORALEE BODEKER; RYLEE SCHEEL. 7TH PLACE:JACE RAKE;6TH PLACE:ALYSSA REYNOLDS;5TH PLACE:EMMA STADELMANN; 4TH PLACE:LAUREN HENDRYX;3RD PLACE:LUKE BEYER; 2ND PLACE:NATALIE PETERS; 1ST PLACE:ZANDALEE GRAVES.

The Auxiliary thanks the teachers for letting veterans groups visit the school to help students learn about veterans, past, present and future. The VFW Auxiliary Post 8884 hopes all teachers will present these opportunities to students in our local schools. We will be having many more competitions for students from elementary through high school.