Highview Fourth Grader Wins Senate Earth Day Poster Contest

Highview Elementary School’s Victoria D'Amelio used recycled bottles, plastic and paper to create the winning entry in the New York State Senate’s Earth Day Poster Contest.

D'Amelio’s poster was picked as the winner in State Sen. David Carlucci’s 38th Senatorial District, which rather appropriately had 38 entries in total between Highview, Little Tor Elementary, Montebello Elementary and Viola Elementary. All of the entries can be seen here.

The poster read “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” which was the main message entrants in the contest were to use on their posters. D’Amerlio, nine years old, wrote out the message using paper mache. She also used paper and folded them to look like flowers, which she placed in a recycled plastic bottle and glued to one corner of her poster. In the other corner, she used more recycled plastic to make a bird feeder.

D'Amelio said the project took a few days to complete and that she did it at home. She also said her favorite subject is art and she enjoys painting.

For winning the contest, Carlucci visited D’Amelio’s fourth grade class at Highview Friday morning to congratulate D’Amelio. He also presented her with a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.

Carlucci spoke to the class a bit about Earth Day and what the state senate does. He also brought along a present for the class, as well as the school.

He brought with him an Appalachian Red Tree, which he purchased from Redhill Nursery in New City.

After speaking with the students, Carlucci, D’Amelio and her classmates helped start to plant the tree in the schoolyard.