HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-05-02, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013.New School Fair choosesits first ambassador
An original
Blyth’s Mandi Keir designed what would eventually be
chosen as the Elementary School Fair’s new logo. Here is
the Maitland River Elementary School student showing off
her artwork. (Photo submitted)
The Elementary School Fair chose
its first-ever ambassador last week,
as well as its logo.
Steve Hallahan, president of the
board said that the fair’s ambassador
competition was open to all students
planning on participating in the fair.
In the end, only two girls came
forward and it was Grace Caldwell
from East Wawanosh who wowed
the board and earned their vote as
ambassador.
Hallahan said that Caldwell’s
public speaking skills were what
really impressed him.
“She looked out at us the whole
time. She had her whole speech
memorized,” Hallahan said. “It was
a close vote, both girls were good,
but Grace really impressed me.”
The other contestant in the
ambassador competition was Laura
Stainton, Hallahan said.
Public speaking, Hallahan says, is
going to be an important part of the
ambassador’s job. Caldwell will go
to area schools, speak about the fair
and encourage students and teachers
to come to the fair and contribute
their work.
Caldwell will be the spokesperson
for the fair, Hallahan says, and she
will be great for the job.
In an interview with The Citizen
on Monday, Caldwell said that the
fair has been important to her since
she was in kindergarten. She is the
third generation in her family to
participate in the fair, and that
history is special to her.
Caldwell took the fair’s new
slogan “Make it, Grow it, Show it”
and crafted her speech around those
three ideas that have been so vital to
the fair over the years.
For “Make it” Caldwell’s speech
told the story of her and her siblings
running around scrambling at the
last minute with her grandmother to
find fruits and vegetables that they
could exhibit at the fair. She says
that’s a memory that remains close
to her heart.
She said that when she thought of
“Grow it” she can recall planting
seeds with her family the same day
they received the fair’s annual book.
One of the seeds she always
remembers planting is a sunflower.
It was Caldwell’s hope, she said, to
grow the biggest sunflower at the
fair one year.
When it comes to “Show it”
Caldwell says that she doesn’t have
any first hand experience showing
animals at the fair, but that seeing
her classmates show their animals
was always one of her favourite
parts of the fair.
“It’s kind of nice to see people
showing their calves and their sheep
and seeing them work together at
the fair,” she says.
Caldwell says she’s excited to
take her show on the road and speak
to classes full of students at other
schools.
“I hope I can get people to come
to the fair,” she says, “so they can
have as much fun there as I do.”
The fair also has a new logo,
which incorporates its new slogan
“Make it, Grow it, Show it”. The
new logo came out of a contest that
was open to all participating
students and it was won by Blyth’s
Mandi Keir.
Maitland River Elementary
School Principal Alice McDowell
says that the new logo was chosen
through a process called a “dot-
mocracy” where fair board members
each had a circular sticker to place
on one of the 10 finalist logos. It
was Keir’s design that, in the end,
impressed the board.
The logo now graces the cover of
the year’s fair book, which has just
been completed by Blyth Printing.
This year’s book, for the first
time, includes a complete history of
the fair, dating back to the very first
fair, which was held in 1920.
In 1920, the fair brought in
students from nine different schools
across the townships of Morris and
East Wawanosh.
Over the years more schools
would join. At one point, the history
reads, there were 21 schools
participating in the fair in the same
year.
The fair will be held this year in
Belgrave, on Sept. 11.Auburn 519-526-7262
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New ambassador
Maitland River Elementary School student and East
Wawanosh resident Grace Caldwell, left, was named
ambassador of the Elementary School Fair, which will take
place on Sept. 11 in Belgrave. At a meeting last week,
Caldwell wowed the fair board, including President Steve
Hallahan, right, with her speech on the fair’s new slogan
“Make it, Grow it, Share it.” The new slogan is exhibited in
the fair’s new logo, seen below, which was designed by
Blyth’s Mandi Keir. (Photos submitted)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen