KIDS COMMEMORATE NEW LIBRARY WITH BOOKMARKS AND ESSAYS
Jenine Baines
February 28, 2008
SAN MARINO, Calif. Last October, when Marilyn Peck, a Trustee of San Marino´s Crowell Public Library, asked her fellow Trustee Gene Weisenberg to help her develop, oversee and judge an essay contest – open to children in grades 4 through 12 attending 7 local schools, both public and private – little did she realize that the Trustees would receive almost 1600 entries. San Marino area schools that participated included K.L. Carver School, Valentine Elementary School, Huntington Middle School, San Marino High School, Clairbourn School, St. Felicitas and Perpetua School, and Southwestern Academy.
"We read and read!" recalls Peck, a former teacher. "Every essay was read multiple times by all seven Trustees – not just by Gene and me"
"We wanted to create some excitement about the new library," adds Weisenberg. "I think we succeeded."
The topic that inspired such enthusiasm was fairly open-ended; children were asked to share their thoughts on their local public library. What did the library mean to them? Did they make a special friend while there? Was there a program they especially enjoyed?
"They loved the Summer Reading Program, the bean bag chairs and all the librarians. In fact, they often mentioned the librarians by name," says Peck. "We received lots of valuable information to use in future programming as well."
Although Peck stresses repeatedly that it was a difficult task because "we felt that everyone who entered was a winner but we had to narrow it down," the Trustees eventually selected 54 winners from three grade groups – elementary, middle school, and high school. The results are as follows.
Grades 4 and 5: First place, Tomomi Maeda (grade 5, Valentine); Second place, Emerson Liu (grade 4, Carver); Third place, Sarah Linton (grade 5, Valentine); 4th place, Marina Felix (grade 5, Valentine); 5th place, Raymond Chung (grade 5, Clairbourn). Honorable mentions: Nathaniel Rolfe (grade 5, Valentine); Shannon Sinwell (grade 4, Carver); Matthew Wong (grade 5, Valentine). Special merit: Jacqueline Chen (grade 5, Carver); Jemima Shi (grade 5, Carver); Sharmayne Siu (grade 5; Carver); Justin Tsai (grade 5, Carver); Yu-Huan Wang (grade 4, Carver); Kate Beardsley (grade 5; Valentine); Ronni Cuccia (grade 5, Clairbourn); Griffin Carter (grade 5; Valentine) Mandy Hsu (grade 4, Carver); Ashley Garcia (grade 5, St. Felicitas).
Grades 6, 7 and 8: First place, Brennan Swanton (grade 8, Huntington); Second place, Ryan Puri (grade 6, Huntington); Third place, Martin Liu (grade 6, Huntington); 4th place, Francis Mejia (grade 8, St. Felicitas); 5th place, Shuo-Wang Hsu (grade 8, Huntington). Honorable Mentions: Albert Hu (grade 8, Huntington); Kelly Quon (grade 7, Huntington); Risa Yamanaka (grade 8, Southwestern). Special Merit: Erica Hwang (grade 6, Huntington); Alyssa Roxas (grade 8, St. Felicitas); Camille Wang (grade 8, Huntington); Larissa Lomen (grade 8, Huntington); Andrea Pavon (grade 6, St. Felicitas); Nikos Covey (grade 6, Huntington); Chrystal Yen (grade 8, Huntington); Jordon Agajanian (grade 6, Huntington); Melissa Hsu (grade 8, Huntington); Annie Surman (grade 6, Huntington).
Grades 9 through 12: First place, James Barger (grade 12, San Marino High School); Second place, Christine Blauvelt (English AP, SMHS); Third place, Ryan Seo (grade 9, Southwestern); 4th place, Vivian Yip (English AP, SMHS); 5th Place, Taek-Soo Shin (grade 12, Southwestern). Honorable Mentions: Alice Zhang (grade 10, SMHS); Vicki Lau (grade 12, SMHS); Ali Ramirez (grade 12, SMHS) Special Merit: Tom Zhou (grade 11, Southwestern); Greg Kellogg (grade 10, SMHS); Stephanie Cai (English Honors, SMHS); Edwin Yuan (grade 10, SMHS); Christie Butron (grade 12, SMHS); Jessica Fong (English Honors, SMHS);Jocelyn Lo (grade 12, SMHS); Allen Liu (grade 10, SMHS); Antonio Lopez (grade 12, Southwestern); Justin Tang (English 1-2; SMHS).
All winning essays are currently on display in the Community Room at the Crowell Public Library.
Meanwhile, children who preferred crayons and paint to pens or computers also had an opportunity to share their vision of the library´s role in their lives, hearts and community. After announcing a bookmark contest, sponsored by Janice Lee and Prudential California Realty/San Marino Office, the San Marino Public Library Foundation received 115 entries. A panel of judges including high school art teacher Deborah Hart, librarian Rex Mayreis, school librarian and Library Trustee Sandy Morris, Foundation Board Member Debra Sedun and San Marino High School student Julien Durand selected two winners from three age groups: Jason Omori and Kurtis Tsai (8 years old and younger); Ashley Chuck and Chrystal Yen (9 to 13 years old); Tina Chen and Christine Law (14 to 18 years old.)
One thousand copies of each winning design will be printed and distributed. The first bookmark, which was released on Opening Day for the new library, January 26, will be available until February 29. A new bookmark will then be released from March 1 to April 30, with the remaining bookmarks following for two-month successive periods throughout the end of the year. Winning entries will remain on display in the lobby of the new library.
In addition to the honor of having their artistic efforts immortalized as bookmarks, each prizewinner also won four tickets to the amusement park of their choice. "All chose Disneyland," says Cindy Chan, Director of Development for the Foundation.
But, as essay winner James Barger sees it, the ultimate place of adventure to visit is the Crowell Public Library.
"Librarians are real life super heroes who save our day and guard the city´s treasures," wrote Barger. "But I´m not talking about treasures like rubies and sapphires. The real treasures are the stories and information hidden between the bindings of the countless books in our library."
The Crowell Public Library provides: a gathering place, an information center, a technology hub and a book and media collection to serve the educational, cultural and recreational interests of people of all ages. The Crowell Public Library is located at 1890 Huntington Drive in San Marino. For more information about the new library, call 626.300.0777 or visit www.sanmarinopl.org.
"We read and read!" recalls Peck, a former teacher. "Every essay was read multiple times by all seven Trustees – not just by Gene and me"
"We wanted to create some excitement about the new library," adds Weisenberg. "I think we succeeded."
The topic that inspired such enthusiasm was fairly open-ended; children were asked to share their thoughts on their local public library. What did the library mean to them? Did they make a special friend while there? Was there a program they especially enjoyed?
"They loved the Summer Reading Program, the bean bag chairs and all the librarians. In fact, they often mentioned the librarians by name," says Peck. "We received lots of valuable information to use in future programming as well."
Although Peck stresses repeatedly that it was a difficult task because "we felt that everyone who entered was a winner but we had to narrow it down," the Trustees eventually selected 54 winners from three grade groups – elementary, middle school, and high school. The results are as follows.
Grades 4 and 5: First place, Tomomi Maeda (grade 5, Valentine); Second place, Emerson Liu (grade 4, Carver); Third place, Sarah Linton (grade 5, Valentine); 4th place, Marina Felix (grade 5, Valentine); 5th place, Raymond Chung (grade 5, Clairbourn). Honorable mentions: Nathaniel Rolfe (grade 5, Valentine); Shannon Sinwell (grade 4, Carver); Matthew Wong (grade 5, Valentine). Special merit: Jacqueline Chen (grade 5, Carver); Jemima Shi (grade 5, Carver); Sharmayne Siu (grade 5; Carver); Justin Tsai (grade 5, Carver); Yu-Huan Wang (grade 4, Carver); Kate Beardsley (grade 5; Valentine); Ronni Cuccia (grade 5, Clairbourn); Griffin Carter (grade 5; Valentine) Mandy Hsu (grade 4, Carver); Ashley Garcia (grade 5, St. Felicitas).
Grades 6, 7 and 8: First place, Brennan Swanton (grade 8, Huntington); Second place, Ryan Puri (grade 6, Huntington); Third place, Martin Liu (grade 6, Huntington); 4th place, Francis Mejia (grade 8, St. Felicitas); 5th place, Shuo-Wang Hsu (grade 8, Huntington). Honorable Mentions: Albert Hu (grade 8, Huntington); Kelly Quon (grade 7, Huntington); Risa Yamanaka (grade 8, Southwestern). Special Merit: Erica Hwang (grade 6, Huntington); Alyssa Roxas (grade 8, St. Felicitas); Camille Wang (grade 8, Huntington); Larissa Lomen (grade 8, Huntington); Andrea Pavon (grade 6, St. Felicitas); Nikos Covey (grade 6, Huntington); Chrystal Yen (grade 8, Huntington); Jordon Agajanian (grade 6, Huntington); Melissa Hsu (grade 8, Huntington); Annie Surman (grade 6, Huntington).
Grades 9 through 12: First place, James Barger (grade 12, San Marino High School); Second place, Christine Blauvelt (English AP, SMHS); Third place, Ryan Seo (grade 9, Southwestern); 4th place, Vivian Yip (English AP, SMHS); 5th Place, Taek-Soo Shin (grade 12, Southwestern). Honorable Mentions: Alice Zhang (grade 10, SMHS); Vicki Lau (grade 12, SMHS); Ali Ramirez (grade 12, SMHS) Special Merit: Tom Zhou (grade 11, Southwestern); Greg Kellogg (grade 10, SMHS); Stephanie Cai (English Honors, SMHS); Edwin Yuan (grade 10, SMHS); Christie Butron (grade 12, SMHS); Jessica Fong (English Honors, SMHS);Jocelyn Lo (grade 12, SMHS); Allen Liu (grade 10, SMHS); Antonio Lopez (grade 12, Southwestern); Justin Tang (English 1-2; SMHS).
All winning essays are currently on display in the Community Room at the Crowell Public Library.
Meanwhile, children who preferred crayons and paint to pens or computers also had an opportunity to share their vision of the library´s role in their lives, hearts and community. After announcing a bookmark contest, sponsored by Janice Lee and Prudential California Realty/San Marino Office, the San Marino Public Library Foundation received 115 entries. A panel of judges including high school art teacher Deborah Hart, librarian Rex Mayreis, school librarian and Library Trustee Sandy Morris, Foundation Board Member Debra Sedun and San Marino High School student Julien Durand selected two winners from three age groups: Jason Omori and Kurtis Tsai (8 years old and younger); Ashley Chuck and Chrystal Yen (9 to 13 years old); Tina Chen and Christine Law (14 to 18 years old.)
One thousand copies of each winning design will be printed and distributed. The first bookmark, which was released on Opening Day for the new library, January 26, will be available until February 29. A new bookmark will then be released from March 1 to April 30, with the remaining bookmarks following for two-month successive periods throughout the end of the year. Winning entries will remain on display in the lobby of the new library.
In addition to the honor of having their artistic efforts immortalized as bookmarks, each prizewinner also won four tickets to the amusement park of their choice. "All chose Disneyland," says Cindy Chan, Director of Development for the Foundation.
But, as essay winner James Barger sees it, the ultimate place of adventure to visit is the Crowell Public Library.
"Librarians are real life super heroes who save our day and guard the city´s treasures," wrote Barger. "But I´m not talking about treasures like rubies and sapphires. The real treasures are the stories and information hidden between the bindings of the countless books in our library."
The Crowell Public Library provides: a gathering place, an information center, a technology hub and a book and media collection to serve the educational, cultural and recreational interests of people of all ages. The Crowell Public Library is located at 1890 Huntington Drive in San Marino. For more information about the new library, call 626.300.0777 or visit www.sanmarinopl.org.
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