Schools
Students Recognized for Street Smarts and Art
Five San Ramon elementary school students received smiles and certificates during this week's City Council meeting.
Students who put a creative twist to street smarts shared the spotlight at the City Council meeting Tuesday evening.
Five artistic, safety-minded San Ramon elementary students were recognized for winning a storybook contest sponsored by a program promoting traffic safety in San Ramon Valley.
Winners of the sixth annual Street Smarts Storybook Poster Contest were Sumija Ande, a fifth grader at Hidden Hills Elementary School; Emily Her, a third grader at Live Oak Elementary School; Amogh Maganahalli, a second grader at Coyote Creek Elementary School; Anika Rawat, a fourth grader at Hidden Hills Elementary School; and Janani Salai, a first grader at Montevideo Elementary School.
The four young artists present at the council meeting received certificates of recognition from Mayor H. Abram Wilson and posed for pictures before proud parents and community members.
"For the children to be able to illustrate a booklet and see their illustrations in print will help them to enjoy the arts and reading," Wilson said. "It's all about working both sides of the brain and it shows how San Ramon Valley education is creative in making sure children have exposure to the arts."
More than 400 students participated in this year's contest, which began in January and ran through February, according to Nat Rojanasathira, program coordinator for Street Smarts.
"We encourage students to learn about traffic safety and the poster storybook contest is one of the most successful programs," he said.
Elementary school students residing throughout the San Ramon Valley in the cities of San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, Blackhawk, Diablo and parts of Walnut Creek are eligible for the contest.
Participants are given the storybook text and can choose which page—each touching on a traffic safety issue—they wish to illustrate. Contest winners have their artwork featured in the storybook, which is distributed in schools, libraries and community centers throughout the valley in the spring and fall.
Five of the 11 winners this year are San Ramon residents. Along with the winners from Danville and Alamo, they participated in an awards ceremony at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center on March 11.
For the last three years, the author for the Streets Smart storybook has been San Ramon resident Dana Mentink, who writes Christian Fiction novels for Harlequin and released her fourth one in January.
"I participate because it draws together two things that I love the most and that's writing and children," Mentink said. "It's an amazing experience—those guys are so proud of their work, it's a real thrill!"
