Schools
Strawtown Student Wins Hispanic Heritage Month Poster Contest (VIDEO)
Second-grader Isabella Masionette won the contest organized by State Sen. David Carlucci
When Isabella Masionette was tasked with painting something to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, she knew exactly what to do.
She painted a picture of pastelillos, which is a Puerto Rican food dish similar to an empanada, except with thin and flaky dough.
“It’s my favorite food,” said Masionette, eight, of New City.
Masionette’s acrylic painting of the dish and an oven was selected as the grand prize winner in the Hispanic Heritage Month Poster Contest, which was organized by State Sen. David Carlucci’s office.
Today Carlucci went to Masionette’s second grade classroom at Strawtown Elementary School to surprise her with the news that she won.
“What’s great about a contest like this is that it wasn’t done in school, the assignment was required for all students,” Carlucci said. “So it was really up to the kids to take it upon themselves to participate in the contest, and the kids really stepped up.”
He said there were about 145 entries from his district. Also joining Carlucci for the surprise visit were a few of Masionette’s family members, such as her mother, Fayth Glotzer, her grandmothers, Linda Fletcher and Donna Hoag, and her grandfather, Phil Glotzer.
“We do a lot of art at the house,” Fayth Glotzer said. “She really likes ceramics and any kind of acrylic painting. She also makes her own jewelry and sells it.”
Glotzer said her daughter makes bracelets and earrings. When Glotzer attends classes at a local college, she occasionally brings her daughter, who sells some of her jewelry at the school.
“She usually makes like $30 doing it, too,” Glotzer said, adding her daughter also likes to knit scarves.
Masionette said she thinks it’s fun to paint and draw, and that her award-winning painting took about a day to do.
Carlucci presented her with a certificate of appreciation from the New York State Senate in front her class. He also talked to the class a bit about the senate and handed out New York State Senate coloring books.
“I always try to teach the kids a little civics lesson when I speak at schools and tell them a little bit about what the senate does,” he said.
Carlucci was happy to be the school Friday not only to bring Masionette the award, but also because he attended Strawtown Elementary. Rather coincidentally, Masionette’s classroom was the same one Carlucci was in when he was in second grade.
He said in the future he hopes to organize more contests and events to promote cultural diversity. During Black History Month, Carlucci said he’s going to have an essay contest geared toward students in a higher grade, and he’s currently thinking of other ideas. Carlucci added his office is going to have an Earth Day poster contest as well.
Strawtown Principal Deirdra O’Connor thinks its great for an elected official to be so involved with the community’s students.
“It’s very meaningful for the kids, especially since Senator Carlucci attended Strawtown. It shows them that if they study and work hard, they can really accomplish something great,” she said. “And having a contest like this is a wonderful idea, because we’re always trying to teach the kids about diversity. It fits right in with our curriculum.”
