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Ridgeland School Contest

December 13, 2024

RIDGELAND SCHOOLS JOIN THE CITY’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

RIDGELAND, MS – Ridgeland’s 125th anniversary has been brimming with community spirit, and no celebration would be complete without the involvement of our local students. To mark this milestone, the City invited schools to participate in an essay and art contest, highlighting the creativity and imagination of our youngest residents. Students were asked to choose from three themes for their submissions:

  • Past: Ridgeland’s history
  • Present: What makes the City of Ridgeland special to you?
  • Future: How do you think life will be in Ridgeland in 2049 (150th Anniversary Year)?

We are deeply grateful to our schools for their enthusiastic participation and thank Kenya Rachal and Kim Cooper of the 125th Anniversary Planning Committee for organizing this special project. Below are the winners of the essay and art contests:

HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY:

  • 1st Place Art: Jinal Patel, 5th grade
  • 2nd Place Art Raelyn Nichols, 5th grade
  • 3rd Place Art: Kaelyn Pollard, 5th grade

ANN SMITH ELEMENTARY:

  • 1st Place Art: Lucy Gonzalez, 2nd grade
  • 2nd Place Art: Mariah Magee, 2nd grade
  • 3rd Place Art: Emily Bernabe-Pedro, 2nd grade
  • 1st Place 3D Art: Ivy Taylor & Yeimy Hernandez, 2nd grade
  • 2nd Place 3D Art: Hazel Dansereau, Layla Williams, Asher Bounds & Bauer Tolar, 2nd grade
  • 3rd Place 3D Art: Isabella Ixcoy, Daniella Villa-Arenas & Caleb Cruz-Cordova, 2nd grade

OLD TOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL:

  • 1st Place Art: Adrien O’Banner, 8th grade
  • 2nd Place Art: Carolina Roman, 8th grade
  • 3rd Place Art: Daniela Flores, 8th grade
  • 1st Place 3D Art: Laila Moumad, 6th grade
  • 2nd Place 3D Art: Jayce Green, Cayden Sims & Poojan Sontakke, 6th grade
  • 3rd Place 3D Art: Poojan Sontakke, 6th grade

RIDGELAND HIGH SCHOOL:

  • 1st Place Essay: Anais Garcia-Ramirez, 10th grade
  • 2nd Place Essay: Cameron Cooper, 11th grade
  • 3rd Place Essay: Bailey Wash, 11th grade

CHRIST COVENANT SCHOOL:

  • 1st Place Art: Lynlee Newman, 3rd grade
  • 2nd Place Art: Georgia Ridgen, 5th grade
  • 3rd Place Art: Maddux Madden, 5th grade

MADISON-RIDGELAND ACADEMY:

  • 1st Place Essay: Anderson Reeves, 4th grade
  • 2nd Place Essay: Daily Waggoner, 4th grade
  • 3rd Place Essay: Ava Hill, 4th grade
  • 1st Place Art: Kat Ensminger, 8th grade
  • 2nd Place Art: Chloe Jones, 8th grade
  • 3rd Place Art: Alice Killingsworth, 6th grade
  • 1st Place Art: Charlotte Newman, 5th grade
  • 2nd Place Art: Sarah Owens, 5th grade


Congratulations to all the winners and participants! Your creativity and talent made this celebration even more special. Thank you for helping us honor Ridgeland’s past, present, and future! The winning art and essays will be on display at the Waller Craft Center from December 29, 2024, to January 31, 2025.

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