Daily Progress, Jacksonville, TX

December 1, 2008

Jacksonville student wins essay contest


Special to the Progress

Doing our part to conserve energy and protect the environment is simply good business these days.

Just ask Nichols Intermediate School student Layne Hawkins.

Her essay on protecting the environment was chosen as the winner for Jacksonville Independent School District in the Luminant Scholar Program Essay contest.

Luminant Scholar Director Robert Gentry presented Hawkins with a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond in front of the entire fifth grade class at her school.

Also on hand at the Nichols Intermediate School Cafeteria in October to help present the award were State Sen. Robert Nichols and State Rep. Chuck Hopson along with Nichols’ Principal Tammy Jones and JISD Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Curriculum Judy Terry.

The essay contest is designed to bring greater awareness of environmental protection to fifth grade students across Texas.

Each member of Hawkins’ class received a MP3 player and a Luminant Scholar t-shirt for being in the contest winner’s class.

Each Nichols Intermediate fifth grader who participated in the essay contest received a magnet that has reminders about ways to help protect the environment printed on it.

Hawkin’s essay is now eligible to be among the top three chosen in Texas in which case Nichols Intermediate School would receive a $5,000 grant from Luminant.