BW Update - April 6, 2023

Superintendent Ana C. Riley and Principal Deborah Kearns are pleased to announce that two Colt Andrews Elementary School students won second and third place in the Rhode Island State Elks Association's essay competition.

Fifth-grade students Ryan Christina and Ian Miranda were two of 18 students from Colt Andrews that submitted essays to the state-wide competition. The theme of this year's essay was, "The American Dream."

Miranda, who won second place, wrote about his dream, which was to see an end to racism, gun violence and war. Third-place winner and honorable mention recipient, Christina, wrote his essay on how education should be free at all levels and how he wishes to live in a world free of racism.

"We are very proud of Ian and Ryan for being recognized in this state-wide competition," Superintendent Riley said. "It's inspiring to see our students be so thoughtful and well-spoken about such consequential topics."

The Rhode Island Elks club hosted an awards dinner on Sunday, March 5, where the students were presented with certificates for their achievements as well as scholarship money for placing in the contest.

Fifth-grade teacher Leonard Calandra incorporates the essay competition into his classroom curriculum. Students can use this opportunity to work on opinion writing while also taking social studies lessons into consideration. Calandra submits essays annually on behalf of students and has had students' place in the past.

To learn more about the essay competition, click here.