Bolingbrook Second-Grader Wins Essay Contest

Waste Management Major Account Manager Ella Plahm (left) honors Jonas Salk Elementary School 2nd grader Addy DeWitt for her unique essay on recycling that won the school PTA’s Reflections contest. With them are Salk Principal Laura Lucas and Assistant Principal Jean Bruno. Photo and article submitted by Valley View School District:

Jonas Salk Elementary School 2nd grader Addy DeWitt received special recognition Friday from Waste Management for her award-winning writing piece “The Recycling Club.”

The nine page effort about kids launching a recycling campaign, which was the overall building winner in the 2014-15 Salk PTA Reflections contest, was written in the form of letters to and from members of her Girl Scout Troop.

“When I heard the theme ‘the world would be a better place if…’ I thought of the Girl Scout motto. This helped me come up with my idea to write a story about my Girl Scout Troop,” Addy wrote in her introduction. “This story isn’t real but we really did pick up trash in the neighborhood. I think picking up trash and recycling would make the world cleaner, and that would make it a better place.”

“Maybe you and I can team up and come up with some recycling ideas,” said Waste Management Major Account Manager Ella Plahm before she presented Addy with a variety of items from the company.

While Addy was the overall Salk PTA Reflections winner, several other students have been named winners in the contest including Mina Zaucha, Primary Literature; Annie Klis, Primary Photography; Shekainah Okai, Intermediate Literature; and Roya Zaucha and Daniella Lorenzo, Intermediate Visual Arts.