The top voted entries in this year’s Newtown Middle School Painted Pumpkin Patch were announced on October 27, following a colorful display over the previous weekend.

NMS art teachers Leigh Anne Coles and Kris Ladue oversaw the effort. The Painted Pumpkin Patch event replaced the annual NMS Eighth Grade Scarecrow Contest this year, due to the pandemic.

Each year, NMS eighth grade students are challenged to work in groups to create larger-than-life-scarecrows that can withstand Mother Nature. Those creations are then put on display on the school’s front lawn so residents can cast a vote, for $1 per vote, for their favorite scarecrow. The money raised has traditionally been given to charities chosen by the top three winning groups.

This year, students worked individually on the Painted Pumpkin Patch entries. The event was mandatory for eighth grade Art Enrichment students and it was open to participation by the whole student body. Students who participated earned community service hours.

Students were encouraged to be creative, crafty, and resourceful with their designs, with an added challenge to limit spending to $30, though that was not mandatory.

The pumpkins were on display for community voting Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25.

Voting took place online this year, and in place of monetary donations, according to Coles, voters were encouraged to donate canned or boxed food items to FAITH Food Pantry.

According to Coles, there were a total of 800 votes for the 41 painted pumpkin entries.

The Winning Pumpkins

First place, with 122 votes, was awarded to “Winnie the Pooh and Piglet” by seventh grade student Kayla Sinapi; second place, with 96 votes, was awarded to “Sugar Skull with Flower Crown” by seventh grade student Amanda Faircloth; and third place, with 61 votes, was awarded to “Pigs in the Pen” by seventh grade student Maya Chaudhary.