Students and schools across the nation are recognizing 2015 National School Bus Safety Week Oct. 19-23. The theme for this year’s safety week is “Be Smart – Be Seen, I wait in a safe place!” In Maine, the safety week program culminates with a poster contest award ceremony and tea at the Blaine House for students and their families.
First Lady Ann LePage personally presents awards to each student who attends the ceremony and places first, second, and third in each grade level category. With the help of student families, Maine State Police and the Maine Department of Education, the award ceremony is a time to celebrate the contribution of students and teachers to safety, art and education.
Student poster work is supervised by the local school art teacher. Under teacher guidance students draw an original and artistic poster that sends a message about school bus safety by using print, crayon and felt pen. Criteria for selection of award-winning posters are:
- Safety impact
- Originality
- Artistic quality
- Visual impact
In Maine, students who place first, second and third in each category receive a check from the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation. First place winners receive a check for $75, second place winners receive a check for $50, and third place winners receive a check for $25. First place posters from Maine are also entered in the national competition.
Transportation supervisor for RSU 38, Blenny Butterfield, is the coordinator for the Maine poster contest. With a passion for education and commitment to creating a safe place for students, she has worked with schools, students and art teachers for the past 13 years in order to promote school bus safety.
The posters are evaluated by prominent individuals in the field of pupil transportation at the state and national levels. The posters are evaluated by categories. The winning state posters from each state are submitted to the National Association for Pupil Transportation where a national winner is selected. The Maine Association for Pupil Transportation (MAPT) administers and judges the Maine applications for National School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest.
Maine Results: National School Bus Safety 2015 Poster Contest Winners
DIVISION I
- 1st Evie Willer – Minot Consolidated School
- 2nd Maddalena Voter – Chelsea Elementary School
- 3rd Madison McNeff – Windsor Elementary School
DIVISION II
- 1ST Sylvia Murray – North Berwick Elementary School
- 2nd Damon Wilson – Windsor Elementary School
- 3rd Montana Goggin – Minot Consolidated School
DIVISION III
- 1st Jakob Mills – Windsor Elementary School
- 2nd Stephanie Libby – Windsor Elementary School
- 3rd Ashleigh Treannie – Windsor Elementary School
DIVISION IV
- 1st Krysta Morris – Windsor Elementary School
- 2nd Johnny Bisee – Minot Consolidated School
- 3rd Jacob Cater – Windsor Elementary School
Awards will be presented to students at the Blaine house this fall. The 2015 student posters were drawn between September 2014 and September 2015. This poster contest theme is “Bully Free Zone!” The 2015 poster contest theme will go on to become the theme for next year’s National School Bus Safety Week.
In preparation for next year’s contest, the poster contest theme that students design and draw between September 2015 and September 2016 is: “# STOP ON RED!” this poster contest theme will become the theme for the 2017 National School Bus Safety Week celebration.
Resources and more information
- National Association for Pupil Transportation School Bus Safety Week and poster contest: napt.org/resources/national-school-bus-safety-week
- Maine Association for Pupil Transportation: maptme.org/wp/
- Maine DOE School Transportation: www.maine.gov/education/const/trans/home
For more information, contact Blenny Butterfield at 685-3621 or blenny@maranacook.org.