Winners Of Student Mask Usage PSA Contest Announced

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — The Cherokee County School District recently surprised the winners of its poster and video contests to seek students’ help in encouraging mask usage among their classmates.

Cherokee County students in grades 6-12 were invited to create and enter a short public service announcement-style video that educates students about the benefits of mask usage by students at school, and students in grades K-12 were invited to design and enter a poster promoting the same message. The winning videos and posters will be used in Cherokee County schools and on the district's websites and social media to promote student mask usage.

The first-place winners are:

Poster contest

• Keiko Bruno, Bascomb Elementary School, second grade
• Zachary Gonzalez, E.T. Booth Middle School, eighth grade
• Katie LaCoco, Creekview High School, 10th grade

Video contest

• Chloe Feibus, Creekland Middle School, eighth grade
• Kara Simons, Creekview High School, 11th grade

Superintendent Brian Hightower visited the winning students’ schools to present them with their prizes, funded with donations from district partners. The video first-place winners each earned a $300 Amazon gift card, and the poster first-place winners each earned a $150 Amazon gift card. The poster winners also received framed copies of the poster featuring their winning design; posters are being printed for display in the appropriate grade-level schools district wide.

“We received dozens of outstanding entries from our students promoting the importance of wearing masks at school during this pandemic,” Hightower said, noting that entries were judged for message, quality and creativity. “Not only did they impress us with their creativity and skill, whether in drawing and painting or in scripting and filming, but they also expressed themselves clearly in their messaging as role models for their peers.”

The contest also recognized second-place winners:

Poster contest

• William Shaffer, Boston Elementary School, third grade
• Emalee Bennett, Dean Rusk Middle School, eighth grade
• Chansia White, Woodstock High School, ninth grade

Video contest

• Adrian Shaffer, E.T. Booth Middle School, sixth grade
• Mary Grace Chandler, River Ridge High School, 12th grade

The video second-place winners each earned a $100 Amazon gift card, and the poster second-place winners each earned a $50 Amazon gift card. Second-place poster winners also received framed copies or their posters and will see their posters printed for display in their own school.

The students also will be congratulated with a virtual recognition by the school board and superintendent at the school board’s meeting Thursday.