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The Connecticut Tree Protective Association is sponsoring its Annual Essay Contest for fifth grade students throughout Connecticut. Through their schools, students are invited to submit a short essay or poem on the theme of:
What is my favorite tree and why?

This Arbor Day Essay Contest is offered in an effort to enhance public awareness of the importance of trees and tree care. Young people often have an intuitive appreciation of the value of trees. We are asking them to share that with us in honor of Arbor Day.

2006 Arbor Day Essay Contest Winners


2006 Essay Contest Winners: David Abunaw, Kirby Greene, Danielle Lightfoot, Sumiko Honer, Hannah Riva, Merna Haddad and Elissa Coleman.  Lindsay Reindl was unable to attend.
More photo's from the Arbor Day Tree Planting
 

County Contest Winner

Tolland County

David Abunaw
Mansfield Middle School
205 Spring Hill Road
Storrs, CT 06268

Windham County                   

                 

 

Lindsay Reindl
Sterling Memorial School
1183 Plainfield Pike
P. O. Box 159
Oneco, CT 06373
Mrs. Shamback - teacher

New Haven County

Danielle Lightfoot
Blessed Sacrament School
386 Robinwood Road
Waterbury, CT 06708
Mrs. Helen Mecca - teacher

Litchfield County 

Hannah Riva
North Canaan Elementary School
Box 758
North Canaan, CT 06018
Ms. Fern Weisman - teacher

Middlesex County                 

 

Sumiko Honer
Wesley Elementary School
10 Wesleyan Hills Road
Middletown, CT 06457
Ms. Babette Scheer - teacher

New London County

Kirby Greene
Preston Veterans Memorial School
325 Shetucket Turnpike
Preston, CT 06365
Ms. Felker - teacher

Fairfield County

Merna Haddad
Saint Joseph School
370 Main Street
Danbury, CT 06810
Ms. Healy - teacher

Hartford County 

Elissa Coleman
Charles Wright School
186 Nott Street
W
ethersfield, CT 06109
Mrs. Lipton - teacher

 

Overview of the Contest

See Past Winners of the Arbor Day Essay Contest

The Connecticut Tree Protective Association celebrates Arbor Day every year by sponsoring an essay contest about trees. The contest helps to enhance public awareness of the importance of trees and tree care.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

    Fifth grade students from across the state.

HOW DO I ENTER?

    Applications are accepted through the school. Each Fifth grade class is invited to submit 3 short essays (200 words or less) or poems on the theme of "What is my favorite tree and why?"

Fifth grade class teachers should send their students' essays or poems to CTPA, 58 Old Post Road, PO Box 356, Northford CT, 06472 by March 30, 2005

HOW MANY WINNERS ARE SELECTED?

    Entrees are reviewed and a winning essay or poem is selected from each of Connecticut's eight counties.

WHAT DO THE WINNERS GET?

bulletStudents submitting winning essays or poems will be presented with plaques at a tree planting ceremony in their honor. Plans are underway for this year's ceremony, which will take place on Arbor Day at the State Capitol in Hartford.

PAST WINNERS OF THE CONNECTICUT TREE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION'S ARBOR DAY ESSAY CONTEST ARE: 

(choose a year)    1995    1996    1997    1998    1999    2000   2001    2002    2003    2004     2005

2005 Arbor Day Essay Contest
 

The Winners of the 2005 CTPA Arbor Day Essay Contest
2005 Winners: Abigail Colburn, Elizabeth Fraulino, Raymond Lemoine, Ineke Vromans, Gabrielle Hall, Sharon Lalonde, Narmien Haddad and Joshua Feliciano.  CTPA President Jeff Ward is behind the winners.  (more details below - see more photo's from Arbor Day 2005)

Additional Details on the 2005 Winners of the Arbor Day Essay Contest

Fairfield County

Student Narmien Haddad
Poem Arbor Day Poem
Teacher Ms. Healy
Saint Joseph School
Danbury, CT

New Haven County

Student Joshua Feliciano
Essay My Favorite Tree
Teacher Mrs. Helen Mecca
Blessed Sacrament School
Waterbury, CT

Hartford County

Student Abigail Colburn
Poem 'Apple Trees'
Teacher Mrs. Ann Sarpu
Saint James School
Manchester, CT

New London County

Student Sharon LaLonde
Essay Trees Help Peoples' Needs
Teacher Mrs. Peg Hill
Cohanzie School
Waterford, CT

Litchfield County

Student Raymond Lemoine
Poem That Old Oak
Teacher Mrs. Dunn
Harwinton Consolidated School
Harwinton, CT

Tolland County

Student Ineke Vromans
Poem Rebecca's Tree is Me
Teacher Mr. Carlson
G H Robertson Intermediate School
Coventry, CT

Middlesex County

Student Elizabeth Fraulino
Essay Pine Trees
Teacher Ms. Babette Scheer
Wesley Elementary School
Middletown, CT

Windham County

Student Gabrielle Hall
Essay My Maple Tree
Teacher Mr. Lucien Dzialo
Sterling Memorial School
Oneco, CT

See Photos from the 2005 Arbor Day Ceremony

View the Announcement Flyer for the 2005 Arbor Day Essay Contest

 

   

The 2004 Winners of the Arbor Day Essay Contest

View Pictures from the 2004 Tree Planting Ceremony

Fairfield County

Student Kelsea Chironna
Essay Dogwood Trees
Teacher Mrs. Nelson
Fox Run Elementary School
228 Fillow Street
Norwalk, CT 06850

New Haven County

Student Alyssa Timpson
Poem An Apple Tree
Teacher Mrs. Linda Burgh
Live Oaks School
575 Merwin Avenue
Milford, CT 06460

Hartford County

Student Stewart Henderson
Poem untitled
Teacher Ann T Sarpu
Saint James School
73 Park Street
Manchester, CT 06040

New London County

Student Keely Yarish
Essay The Trees Lesson
Teacher Mr. Daniewicz/Ms Hill
Cohanzie School
48 Dayton Road
Waterford, CT 06385

Litchfield County

Student Caitlin Duffy
Prose My Favorite Tree
Teacher Ms. Gubbiotti
Fletcher W Judson Elementary School
124 Hamilton Lane
Watertown, CT 06795

Tolland County

Student Josephine LoRicco
Poem The Sugar Maple
Teacher Mr. Carlson
G H Robertson Intermediate School
227 Cross Street
Coventry, CT 06238

Middlesex County

Student Tricia DOnofrio
Essay My Favorite Tree
Teacher Jackie Kwiatkowski
St Johns School
5 St Johns Square
Middletown, CT 06457

Windham County

Student Matthew Turban
Essay My Cherry Tree
Teacher Mrs. Jill Shambeck
Sterling Memorial School
1183 Plainfield Pike
Oneco, CT 06373

The CTPA is pleased to honor this year's Essay Contest Winners during a tree planting ceremony held on the grounds of the State Capitol in Hartford.  Eight winners were chosen, one from each of Connecticut's counties.  The CTPA received about 306 entries total.  These entries had been selected by the 52 schools that had entered the contest from around the state.  The enthusiasm and sensitivity of these entries make clear that the future of Connecticut's trees is in good hands.

To obtain a press release on this year's Arbor Day Ceremony, click here.

To see more pictures from previous year's ceremony, click here.

To see a list of Contest Winners from previous years, click here.

1 9 9 5

Jeanna Todaro

Burr Elementary School, Higganum

Jessica Lillian

Heminway Park School, Watertown

Evan McClure

Highland School, Cheshire

Jennifer Ahern

Moriarty School, Norwich

Karin Lin

Pine Grove School, Avon

Greg Ventrese

Silvermine School, Norwalk

1 9 9 6

Lauren Moscone

Killingly Intermediate School, Dayville

Alyssa Gugliotti

Doolittle Elementary School, Cheshire

Victoria Breck

Burr Elementary School, Higganum

Kristin Dvorak

Fields Memorial School, Bozrah

Justin Bankston

Heminway Park School, Watertown

Miranda Corso

Horace Porter School, Columbia

Meredith Dayon

Noah Wallace School, Farmington

 

1 9 9 7

Vivian Pustell

Mill Hill School, Southport

Laura Acosta

Smalley Academy, New Britain

Brett Olivieri

Booth Free School, Roxbury

Katie Magee

Memorial School, Middlefield

Kyle Siconolfi

Blessed Sacrament School, Waterbury

Rachele Ryan

Center School, Old Lyme

Rebecca Moran

Horace Porter School, Columbia

Krystle Renaud

Brooklyn Middle School, Brooklyn

1 9 9 8

Kate Lyn Kiwanis

Memorial Middle School, Middlefield

Laura Hills

Hall Memorial School

Sarah Pingeton

Woodstock Middle School

Jenna Jacobs

Litchfield Intermediate School, Litchfield

Louisa Yemc

Hawley Elementary School, Newtown

Christin Stevens

John M. Moriarty School, Norwich

Leigh Gerber

Beecher Road School, Woodbridge

Jacob Kuperstock

Noah Wallace School, Farmington

1 9 9 9

Christina Serravalle

Edgewood   School, Bristol

James Radack

Cohanzie School, Waterford

Stephen Krasnowski

Thomaston Center School, Thomaston

Susana Aho

Mansfield Middle School, Storrs

Ryan Yager

Woodstock Middle School, Woodstock

Ashley Vargo

Race Brook School, Orange

Hannah Kahn

Killingworth Elementary School, Killingworth

Andrew Kydes

Columbus Magnet School, South Norwalk

2000

Chelsi Baker

Brooklyn Middle School, Brooklyn

Sarah Bergeron

Windermere School, Ellington

Danielle Eichman

Blessed Sacrament School, Waterbury

Scott McColl

Cohanzie School, Waterford

Samantha DiTerlizzi

Mitchell Elementary School, Woodbury

Samantha Ritter

All Saints Catholic School, Norwalk

Annie Smith

Daisy Ingraham School, Westbrook

Kimberly Simone

St. Thomas School, Southington

2001

Paige Fletcher

Saint Thomas School, Thomaston

Nabila Khan

Bielefield School, Middletown

Patrick Ortali

All Saints Catholic School, Norwalk

Eva Charron

John Moriarty School, Norwich

Casey Beaupre

Mary E. Griswold School, Kensington

Kylee Bergin

Brooklyn Middle School, Brooklyn

Kelsey Christian

Saint Margaret School, Waterbury

 

2002 Arbor Day Essay Contest Winners

2002 Arbor Day Essay Contest Winners

2002 Arbor Day Essay Contest Winners, from left to right:  Quinlyn McEvoy, Kirsten DeCortin, Rida Bukhari, Linda Hotkowski, Morgan Siniscalco, Kristen Overson, Jon W. Turban. (Ryan Goldrick was unable to attend.)

The List of 2002 Winners

County Winning Essay Writer
Tolland
County
Morgan Siniscalco
Mansfield Middle School
Storrs, CT
My Favorite Tree - A Pine Tree
Windham
County
Jon W. Turban
Sterling Memorial School
Oneco, CT
My Maple Tree
New Haven
County
Kirsten DeCortin
Blessed Sacrament School
Waterbury, CT
My Favorite Tree
Litchfield
County
Quinlyn McEvoy
Ann Antolini School
New Hartford, CT
An Oak Tree Through the Seasons
Middlesex
County
Linda Hotkowski
Deep River Elementary School
Deep River, CT
The Oak Tree
New London
County
Rida Bukhari
Dr. Charles E. Murphy School
Montville, CT
My Beautiful Apple Tree
Fairfield
County
Ryan Goldrick
Riverside School
Riverside, CT
The Weeping Willow
Hartford
County
Kristen Overson
McAlister Middle School
Suffield, CT
White Birch

2003 Contest Winners

Fairfield County

Student Rachel Naumann
Essay: My Favorite Tree
Teacher   Barbara Friedman
Hart Magnet School
61 Adams Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902

New Haven County

Student Kathyrn DeRobertis
Poem: Tree
Teacher Miss Rosadini
Live Oaks School
575 Merwin Avenue
Milford, CT 06460

Hartford County

Student Alex Giuliano
Poem: The Best Tree
Teacher Deborah Newby
McAlister Middle School
260 Mountain Road
Suffield, CT 06078

New London County

Student Beth Turley
Essay: The Sugar Maple
Teacher Mrs Monahan
Dr Charles E Murphy School
500 Chesterfield Road
Oakdale, CT 06370

Litchfield County

Student Patrick J Fleming
Poem: My Favorite Tree
Teacher Mrs Cynthia Gubbiotti
Fletcher W. Judson Elementary School
124 Hamilton Lane
Watertown, CT 06795

Tolland County

Student Kori Wallace
Essay: The Eastern Hemlock; My Favorite Tree
Teacher Dena Mehalakes
Mansfield Middle School
205 Spring Hill Road
Storrs, CT 06268

Middlesex County

Student Gabrielle Petroka
Poem: White Birch Tree
Teacher Colleen Monnes
Bielefield School
70 Maynard Street
Middletown, CT 06457

Windham County

Student - Laura Bastien
Essay: My Tree
Teacher Ms. Shamback 
Sterling Memorial School
1183 Plainfield Turnpike
Oneco, CT 06373

THE HISTORY OF ARBOR DAY

Arbor Day originated and was first observed in Nebraska in 1872. J. Sterling Morton, an Easterner by birth, is generally recognized as the father of Arbor Day in this country.

Mr. Morton was a member of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture when he conceived his plan for Arbor Day. During the January 4, 1872 meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, Mr. Morton introduced a resolution to the effect that Wednesday, April 10, 1872, be set aside for tree planting in the State of Nebraska and be named Arbor Day.

Tree planting had been haphazard prior to 1872. The Arbor Day plan introduced the concept of organized tree planting work. More than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on that first Arbor Day.

Another conservationist, Dr. Birdsey Northrup, is credited with promoting Arbor Day as an annual event in schools all over the United States. A native of Kent, Connecticut, Dr. Northrup was also the sole motivating force behind the creation of Arbor Day in Europe, Australia, Japan, and Canada.

The last Friday of April in each year is observed in Connecticut as Arbor Day. On this day schools and civic organizations commemorate the numerous benefits provided by trees with tree plantings and tree awareness programs.

Bill Perssonatti and the Lt. Governor listen to a winning essay. 1998 Arbor Day Ceremony

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