3 Va. students win poster contest

RICHMOND, Va. - Three Virginia students took top honors in the "Missing Children's Poster Contest" sponsored by the Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Council for Private Education and the Home School Association. First place winner, Miss Klaire Haney-Heywood of Berkeley Elementary in Spotsylvania County, will go on to represent Virginia this month in the National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

The annual contest is open to all fifth graders enrolled in public and private schools across Virginia. The intent of the program is to educate children about personal safety through the development of artwork by incorporating a national, annual theme.

Each poster submission is also accompanied by an essay describing the nature of the artwork. For more information, go to http://www.vsp.state.va.us/MissingChildrenPosterContest.shtm.

This year's theme was to represent America's effort to "Bring Our Missing Children Home." The title of Miss Haney-Heywood's artwork is "Bring Our Missing Children Home, Lend a Helping Hand," which she says signifies ". . . that more people should keep an eye open for missing children, and people should put their best foot forward and lend a helping hand."

Also placing in the contest were Mr. Anthony Ross of Christ Chapel Academy in Woodbridge and Miss Charlotte Woods of St. Andrew’s School in Richmond.

A national poster contest winner will be recognized in Washington, D.C. at the National Missing Children's Day ceremony on May 21, 2009. The winning national poster will then be used as next year's pictorial theme for the 2010 National Missing Children's Day.

"We are very proud of Miss Haney-Heywood and all of the contest participants and their outstanding efforts," said Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent. "This contest is a great way to engage our youth to discuss and learn about personal safety. We hope to receive even more submissions next year from Virginia's fifth graders as this is a most worthwhile opportunity and lesson for the classroom."

Miss Haney-Heywood's artwork was selected as the winner from among several entries judged by a volunteer panel March 11, 2009. Judges included Ms. Mary Neathawk, Neathawk Dubuque & Packett account coordinator; Ms. Alice Massie, The Collegiate School art teacher; Mr. Brian Thibodeau, Martin Agency art director; Mr. Claiborne Gregory, Richmond artist; Ms. Arlene Cundiff, who helped launch the first annual poster contest last year and has since retired from the Virginia Department of Education; and Captain Thomas W. Turner, Virginia State Police Criminal Justice Information Services Division commander.

Virginia State Police www.vsp.virginia.gov