Erwin student wins state poster contest

Sarah Campbell / Salisbury Post Dr. Jim Emerson, chairman of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, Judy Burris, RSS director of tranportation, Morgan Elementary Principal Susan Sigmon, Erwin Middle student Madison Eaton, Morgan art teacher Crystle Lineberger and Erwin Principal Kristy Rhone pose after awarding Eaton with the first place plaque for the North Carolina Bus Safety Poster Contest.

Sarah Campbell / Salisbury Post Morgan Elementary Prinicpal Susan Sigmon watches as Madison Eaton, a former Morgan student, opens an MP3 player she received for her first place win in the North Carolina Bus Safety Poster Contest. Eaton's poster will move on to compete on the national level.

Sarah Campbell / Salisbury Post Madison Eaton won first place in the exceptional children division of the North Carolina Bus Safety Poster Contest. She is currenty a sixth-grader at Erwin Middle School.

By Sarah Campbell

scampbell@salisburypost.com

It took Madison Eaton about two class periods to draw, color and complete the poster that took home first place in the exceptional children’s division of the North Carolina School Bus Safety Poster Contest.

Now, Eaton, a sixth-grader at Erwin Middle School, is waiting to find out whether or not her poster will claim the national title. The winning poster will be used to promote Bus Safety Week in 2011, with the artist receiving a $1,000 savings bond.

Eaton designed her poster, using colored pencils and markers, while in the fifth grade at Morgan Elementary School.

She was given a plaque, certificate, letter from the state and an MP3 player during a ceremony at Erwin Middle on Monday. Dr. Jim Emerson, chairman of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, Judy Burris, the school system’s director of transportation, Morgan Elementary Principal Susan Sigmon, Erwin Principal Kristi Rhone and Morgan art teacher Crystle Lineberger congratulated Eaton.

“She did a really good job,” Lineberger said. “She always seemed to enjoy art ... sometimes she wasn’t sure about something when she started it, but once she got started she did some really good work.”

Lineberger said she’s had students entering the poster contest since she started teaching art about a decade ago.

“I try to teach my students that you can take something and fix it, that it doesn’t always have to look the way you think it should in order for everyone else to like it,” she said.

Although every student can’t win, Lineberger said contests like this encourage students to do their best.

“Sometimes they just need to know that somebody else is going to see their artwork,” she said.

Katherine Eaton said she is proud to see her daughter take home an award for a hobby she enjoys.

“It think it’s pretty cool because she struggles a lot in school,” she said. “I tell her to focus on something and she can make whatever she wants out of it.”

Although Eaton has been drawing most of her life, this is the first competition she has entered.

“I was surprised when I found out I won,” she said.

Katherine Eaton said her daughter’s plaque will hang on in the hallway of their home, joining accolades earned by her children over time.

Eaton wasn’t the only Rowan-Salisbury student to place in the state contest.

Maria Delgado-Tinajero, a student at Southeast Middle, claimed second place in the sixth- through eight- grade division and Christian Lemly, a sixth-grader at West Rowan Middle, took home third place for third-through fifth-grade division. Lemly created her poster while attending Cleveland Elementary.

Posters had to include the slogan “Be Aware — Know the Danger Zone,”which emphasizes the importance of safety when crossing the street, and getting on and off the bus while staying in view of the bus driver. The danger zone is the area within 10 feet of the bus.

Submissions were judged based on relationship design to school bus safety practices, originality, artwork and execution and visual impact of the design.

Contact Sarah Campbell at 704-797-7683.