Things That Go Bump Are Coming To Queen St.

By Laurie Borst

Leaves are falling. The night air is crisp. Must be time once again for the Newtown Middle School Scarecrow Sculpture Contest. On Saturday morning, October 21, the scarecrows will be set up for viewing on the front lawn of the school on Queen Street. From 10 am to 3 pm, Saturday and Sunday, students will be on hand to assist with balloting.

Vote for your favorite sculpture. Ballots are available in The Newtown Bee and at the middle school B-wing office. Completed ballots can be dropped off at the middle school B-wing office or at The Newtown Bee. Ballots dropped off at The Bee should be addressed “Attention Laurie.” A $1 donation per ballot is requested.

The Scarecrow Sculpture Contest is a required activity for GATES and Art Enrichment students, and open to all other eighth graders.

This year, 34 teams are registered. Teams consist of two to five students. This represents about 20 percent of the eighth grade class.

A booklet has been prepared this year that includes a brief history of the contest and a list of all the sculptures and the students who worked on them. A competition was held to select the cover art for the booklet. Linda He, a seventh grade GATES student, won.

Some of the themes for this year’s sculptures include Miss America in the Morning, the Headless Horseman, Cinderella’s Carriage, and one group is immortalizing a teacher in “Super D.” Some teams chose people and others chose objects.

Advisors are GATES teacher Patrice Gans, art teachers Claudia Mitchell and Arlene Spoonfeather, and tech ed teacher Don Ramsey.

“The students have had very little class time to work on this. They are responsible for the work on their own time,” explained Mrs Gans. “The tricky part was the group dynamics, finding a time when they could all get together.”

First, second, and third place sculptures will be named based on the number of votes received. The groups that created the winning sculptures will determine where the funds will be donated. Last year, $850 was raised, which was divided among Canine Advocates and several national charities.

Voting will take place from October 21 through October 29. Results will be announced on Monday, October 30, and photos of the winning sculptures will be publishing in the November 3 edition of The Bee.