In an effort to tie in the entire community to activities celebrating the centennial of the Idyllwild Library, the students at Idyllwild School were invited to create original artwork for bookmarks celebrating reading and the library’s 100th birthday. The selection committee, made up of the Friends of Idyllwild Library board, chose winners from three categories: grades kindergarten to 2nd, 3rd to 5th and 6th to 8th.
The library also invited home-school students to participate in the contest.
The library printed the bookmark created by the first-place winner in each of the three categories.
Photo by Melissa Diaz Hernandez
“The Friends of the Library organization came up with an outstanding, creative idea for celebrating the 100-year anniversary of our community library with the bookmark contest,” wrote Idyllwild School Principal Matt Kraemer. “Idyllwild School’s smARTs committee worked in collaboration with the Friends of the Library as our students worked on creating their own bookmarks during their Friday art lessons. Student feedback was extremely positive as they had great time making their own bookmarks!”
Each Idyllwild School student will receive all three winning bookmarks. Additionally, the bookmarks will be made available free of charge at the library, once it reopens.
Photo courtesy of the Kretsinger family
Each of the following 12 students (students who placed first through third in each of the three categories, including three ties) will be awarded a gift card to Barnes & Noble.
Kraemer wanted to schedule an all-school assembly to announce the contest’s winners. However, he was unable to schedule the assembly due to the closing of schools for the remainder of the school year as a result of COVID-19.
The contest was proposed to Idyllwild School at the end of November and the students were able to create the bookmarks in January.
The bookmarks were reviewed by the Friends of the Library Board at its February meeting and the winning artworks were sent to the printer at the end of February.
The project was coordinated by the smARTs program at Idyllwild School.
Photo courtesy of the Klauck family
There were 124 kindergarten to 2nd grade student submissions. There were 132 3rd to 5th grade student submissions and 42 6th to 8th grade (middle school) students submitted bookmarks.
The home-school students are included in those numbers.
“The children of Idyllwild School were wildly enthusiastic about the project and are looking forward to learning the outcome,” said Carol Mendoza, member of the Friends of the Idyllwild Library board. “We would also like to thank Principal Kraemer for allowing the project to go forward.
“We would like to give high praise and accolades to Nancy Jones of the smARTs program, who was instrumental in facilitating the project. Without her, it would not have come to such a successful conclusion.”
Photo courtesy of the Dougherty family
With no way to currently distribute the Barnes & Noble gift cards for all 12 winners, the Friends of the Idyllwild Library would like the students to know that their gift cards will be available at the library once it reopens.
The winners are:
Grades K-2
1st – Kinsey Kretsinger (1st grade)
2nd – Opal Leigh Larkin (2nd grade)
3rd tie – Finn Kellgren (1st grade)
3rd tie – Maria Hernandez (2nd grade)
Grades 3-5
1st – Genesis Klauck (4th grade - home-school)
2nd – Skye Reyes (5th grade)
3rd tie – Hava Diaz (4th grade)
3rd tie – Hannah Jang (3rd grade)
Grades 6-8
1st – Ruby Major Dougherty
2nd – Valeria Morales Perez
3rd tie – Nadia Henry
3rd tie – Emma Isaac