Whiz Kid: Sara Kelly

Name:  Sara Kelly

Age:   2nd Grader

School:  Island Avenue School

Accomplishments:   Sara Kelly’s original artwork will be showcased on the 2012 Long Island Sound Foundation Calendar.  Out of 3,100 entries for the calendar contest, Sara received first place in the 2nd grade category.   

Open to kindergarten through sixth grade Connecticut students,  the contest was entitled “Long Island Sound and Its Watershed, What It Means To Me.”  There was one champion drawing, 13 first place drawings and 20 honorable mentions.

Teachers across the state were asked to use the contest as a way to teach students about Long Island Sound.  Sara said she drew her picture with the message, “You Can Make A Difference”,  because she thinks it is important “to save Long Island Sound because it (the trash) can kill the animals.”

Key to Awesomeness:    Sara loves to do art projects at home and says that she always has lots of art materials to use.  “There are crafts and there are art kits and there are bags and drawers filled with art things,” Sara says.  She says she does her artwork after school and on the weekends. 

Island Avenue Art Teacher, Greg Gallo, says Sara’s approach to art is the key to making her a good artist. “I think that she has a lot of practice at home,” Gallo says. “The more you practice creative activities, the more creative you are.”

He added, “I believe that all students can have a natural tendency towards art; it’s all in the practice.”