Schools
Cabazon Elementary Students Win Prizes For Water-wise Drawings
Two lucky students won bikes for their water-wise artwork this week, while others took home a variety of goodies.
The following was submitted for publication by the Cabazon Water District:
Fix leaky faucets. Take shorter showers. Don’t let water run.
Fourth-and-fifth graders came up with these tips and many more during a “Water is Life” student art contest sponsored by the Cabazon Water District.
Youngsters waited anxiously in the quad area at Cabazon Elementary School as Principal Johnny Baker announced the winners for the fourth- and fifth-grade competitions on Wednesday, May 29.
“Yaressi Garcia wins first place in the fourth-grade competition!” Baker’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker.
Cheers erupted from the crowd as a shiny new bicycle was wheeled up and presented to Yaressi. In the fifth-grade competition, first-place winner Diana Gutierrez won a new bike, too.
Prizes for second and third place included free swim and bowling packages donated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. Other donors contributed everything from gift cards to bicycle accessories.
Water-wise
As part of its community outreach, the District sponsored its first annual “Water is Life” student art contest.
“It’s a creative way to reach our youngsters and get them thinking about conserving a precious natural resource,” said Board Vice President Kerri Mariner.
“The artwork by our students at Cabazon Elementary showed a lot of originality and thought.”
Angela vanderBend, 11, took second place in the fifth-grade competition. She hopes to become an artist and has been fascinated with water conservation since learning about the “Water Cycle” in the second grade. (The cycle deals with the continuous movement of water on, above and below the earth’s surface.)
“I just thought it was pretty cool,” Angela said.
For the “Water is Life” student art contest, Angela emphasized why we need to fix our leaky faucets. She drew a drippy kitchen faucet that filled up several glasses and a big pitcher.
The Cabazon Water District’s Board of directors, including President R.D. Cash and directors Mariner, Frances Magness and Mia Affsa, judged more than 75 entries submitted for the contest. Cabazon Water believes deeply in water conservation.
As part of that commitment, a new District headquarters will open later this year with a landscape covered in drought-tolerant desert plants.
Here are the contest winners:
Fourth Grade
- Yaressi Garcia
- Khaliya Heng
- Steven Valenzuela
- Diana Gutierrez
- Angela vanderBend
- Anjelica Diaz
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