VALPARAISO — Martin Binder Jeweler announces the winners of their annual Mother’s Day letter writing contest. An essay contest created to promote literacy and family values, the jeweler again hosted their annual letter writing campaign for students in first through fifth grade of Valparaiso Community Schools. The campaign titled, “Why My Mom Shines Like a Gem,” also encourages elementary students to practice their writing.
Local teachers worked with their students to submit over a hundred letters from Parkview Elementary, Cooks Corners Elementary, Central Elementary, and Flint Lake Elementary schools. Students were asked to submit a handwritten essay, stating why their mom or favorite woman ‘Shines Like a Gem’, the essays evaluated on creativity.
“Our staff had an amazing time reading the letters, and a few of us even had tears in their eyes,” said Robert J. Flude, third generation owner of Martin Binder Jeweler. “The letters were all so good, from the heart. It was hard to choose the winners,” says Flude.
The Valparaiso jeweler awarded five winners, a student from each grade, and an overall contest winner chosen from all campaign entries. Individual winners received a pearl necklace, while one overall winner received a lady’s Pulsar timepiece, the prizes compliments of Martin Binder Jeweler.
This year’s “Why My Mom Shines Like a Gem” writing campaign winners are:
*First Grade: Starr Dust – Mrs. Lang, Parkview Elementary
*Second Grade: Brooklynn Engel – Mrs. Jones, Parkview Elementary
*Third Grade: Anna Petrouski – Mrs. Kennedy, Cooks Corners Elementary
*Fourth Grade: Dallin Sarver – Mrs. Allison, Cooks Corners Elementary
*Fifth Grade: Erik Kallen – Miss Staffeld, Central Elementary
*Overall Winner: Emma Gerdt – Mrs. Schulte, Flint Lake Elementary
“We congratulate our young winners and thank Valparaiso Schools and all the principles, and the teachers who participated,” said Flude. “We host this event once a year, but the teachers are the ones making a difference every day in the students’ lives.” The contest was open to all schools, grades one through five in the Valparaiso Community School Corporation.
