Linwood Students Win Statewide Poster Contest
By Tammy Thornton
Fifth graders at Belhaven Middle school in Linwood didn’t know what to think as five New Jersey State Police officers in full uniform filed through the middle of their cafeteria at lunchtime, on Thursday, March 14th. When principal Susan Speirs told them a special award was being presented, they were all ears. Students erupted into applause when teacher Bonnie Marino announced that their fellow fifth grader, Taylor Timbrook, had won the New Jersey Missing Children’s Poster Contest.
Over 100 entries from different counties in New Jersey were judged by the State Police, but the winner was found in our own backyard. Timbrook’s poster creatively and positively depicted the theme of the contest, “Bringing Our Missing Children Home.”
National Missing Children’s Day has been commemorated on May 25th each year since 1983, when it was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan. Each year, the Department of Justice holds a ceremony honoring the heroic and exemplary efforts of agencies, organizations, and individuals to protect children. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), “Missing Children’s Day is dedicated to encouraging parents, guardians, caregivers, and others concerned with the well-being of children to make child safety a priority. It serves as a reminder to continue our efforts to reunite missing children with their families and an occasion to honor those dedicated to this cause.”
The annual nationwide Missing Children’s Poster Contest is “designed to promote awareness among teachers, parents/guardians and children and engage them in discussions about safety.”
Timbrook’s state- winning poster will be submitted to the OJJDP for competition at the national level. The national winner, his/her teacher, and their parents/guardians will be invited to a free trip to Washington, DC to participate in the National Children’s Day ceremony in May.
Tammy Thornton is a mom of four, a substitute teacher, and a Sunday school teacher. She is passionate about gardening and cooking, and loves the beach.
