CLARK, NJ — Alyssa DeMarco, a student in Debbie Camillo’s fourth-grade class at Frank K. Hehnly School, earned first place in the annual “Young Writers of Union County” poetry contest. In recognition of Arbor Day, the Union County Board of County Commissioners has its annual Union County Arbor Day Poetry Contest.
The contest encourages environmental stewardship and tree conservation among students in grades four through eight, in partnership with the Union County Shade Tree Advisory Board.
The title of her poem was “Our Oak.” The poem touches on all the things an oak tree endures throughout the four seasons and how it is still the strongest, biggest and grandest of them all.
Alyssa was honored at the Union County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Thursday, April 27, in Elizabeth. Alyssa was asked to read her poem to the audience and received her award.
Camillo said, “We have been having so much fun in class exploring, writing and illustrating a variety of poems throughout the year. However, celebrating Alyssa’s achievement with just a few days remaining in poetry month was icing on the cake.”
Photos Courtesy of Christine Casale Broski