Students in Laura Stenzel’s third grade class at Tunnell Elementary School recently pulled off a trifecta by winning all three of the awards for the city of Santa Maria’s 2012 Water Awareness poster contest. The Santa Maria Utilities Department invited local third graders in the school district to create water conservation posters. Participating students were asked to create a colorful poster symbolizing Water Awareness Month in Santa Maria and to explain why water conservation is so important.
Stenzel said she showed her students a presentation about water conservation and then told them to make a poster advertising the importance of saving water.
“One person saving water may not seem like a lot, but if 25 of us in the classroom are all saving water, that makes a huge difference,” she said.
Stenzel’s students won all three prizes: Bianca Cambero earned first place, Alyna Barriga took second, and Ashley Alvarado won third place. The prizes included a Game Movers pizza party, tickets to Disneyland, and passes to the Discovery Museum. Mia Christopher from Taylor Elementary School received an honorable mention. The students and their families were honored at a recent Santa Maria City Council meeting. A poster will be made compiling all three students’ artwork and displayed on city buildings.
This article appears in May 10-17, 2012.