07 Mar 2015 501 Kids promotes literacy with school contest

501 Kids recently partnered with Greenbrier Westside Elementary School to help promote literacy.

“We recognize the importance of literacy and want to do our part to encourage young people to read and develop skills to communicate,” said 501 Kids/501 LIFE publisher Donna Spears. “We are excited to work with Greenbrier Westside on this contest, which focused on friendship.”

Students could draw or write about the topic to enter, with the winners receiving a special 501 Kids medal and a book titled “Friends Forever.” There were two class divisions: kindergarten through second and third through fifth.

Winners were Kenna Haley and Tabby Ardoin.

Both were recognized at a recent assembly at the school and presented with their medals.

The winning entries:

“Lou, Lou and me!” by Tabby Ardoin

It’s July 4, 2011, and all of a sudden you hear puppies! The next day you go look and there are eleven puppies! Some are gray with black spots and some brown with black spots but there was one solid yellow. Today, I’m going to tell you about one of the brown with black spots named Lou Lou and our friendship.

It all started about three or four years ago when she was born. She was the only girl. When she was about 4 months when I took her out to stretch, she stayed by me and didn’t go run with her friends. Also, as she got older, I took her to a competition and she stayed by me. With all the people and dogs you think she would go ballistic but she didn’t. I was amazed! She took after her mom and was calm and laid back. Also, sometimes she’s a little crazy like her dad. She also had a trick that always made me smile.

That dog and me are still friends and we will be forever.

“My Expected Friend” by Kenna Haley

My special day began like this. One Christmas Eve, I wanted a friend for Christmas. In the morning, I got up and remembered what I had wished for. So I ran down the hallway saying, “It’s Christmas!” When I had no more gifts to open, I noticed that no one had given me a friend. So I looked out the window and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a blur in the glass and when it was gone I heard a little whinny from outside. Then I ran outside. “Look, look!” I shouted. “It’s a horse!” I got on her and she reared up. I jumped off of her. I put her in the pasture and named her Penny because her coat looks like the copper on a penny.

Penny is my friend.