April 24 got off to a very good start for Andrew Casey and Daniel Kaiser.
A pair of eighth-graders in Julie Giovannetti's art class at Madison Middle School, they were the stars of the show as some surprise visitors made their way into the room during the morning hours. Two weeks earlier, Giovannetti along with Central Middle School art teacher Jan Brieschke held a special T-shirt design contest in their respective art classes. The focus was for students working either as individuals or in teams to design a logo which could be used for the T-shirts which will be worn at this summer's 2008 Camp Extravaganza, which will be held on the Tri County Technology Center campus from June 16-20.
Casey and Kaiser teamed up to come up with what would eventually be the winning design a stylish coat of arms which incorporates some of the themes of the second-year Camp Extravaganza, a camp which allows students from grades five through eight to learn more about the practical uses of math and science skills in a fun environment. All told, there were nearly 80 entries in the contest between the Bartlesville Public School District's two middle schools and more than 100 students participated.
Every student who signs up for the 2008 Camp Extravaganza will receive a free T-shirt, which will feature a reproduction of the winning design of Casey and Kaiser on the back. More than 150 T-shirts are expected to be printed up.
This feels kind of great, said Casey shortly after being informed of his achievement. I've never been able to do something like this.
The visitors to Giovannetti's classroom on Thursday morning Tonya Foreman, director of community development for the Tri Country Technology Center; Jamye Wells, TCTC marketing and public information specialist; and David Austin, community relations coordinator for the Bartlesville Public School District had a bevy of prize announcements for Casey and Kaiser. Among the eighth-graders' winnings were pizza and movie gift certificates and free T-shirts with their winning designs. A 2008 Camp Extravaganza T-shirt will eventually be framed and displayed in the Madison Middle School trophy case in the main hallway of the building as well.
Last, but certainly not least, both Casey and Kaiser were awarded scholarships valued at $125 apiece to attend this year's Camp Extravaganza .
I feel pretty good, said Kaiser, smiling about his morning marked with winnings.
There promises to be plenty of good feelings at the 2008 Camp Extravaganza. The event will offer seven courses over a five-day span. They include classes such as Forensics: Get a Clue! which will reveal how criminal investigation teams collect, analyze and process evidence to solve crimes. Students will be asked to help solve some mock capers of their own.
In the 3-D Modeling: The Dragster course, students will use Inventor Software to create an actual dragster which they will race against their classmates.
Last year's Camp Extravanga which was the first in what has now become an annual summer tradition proved popular because it allowed students to learn in a fun environment. The activities were hands-on, allowing students to experience how the knowledge they gain can be used in practical and extremely interesting settings. While the first Camp Extravaganza drew nearly 100 students, more are expected this year as word of the event has spread throughout the area.
This year's Camp Extravaganza will feature early enrollment which is recommended as class sizes are limited on April 13. Online enrollment is available at https://www.veracross.com/tricounty/course_selection.php. Information can be gathered by phone as well at (918) 331-3333.
Tuition for 2008 Camp Extravaganza is $125 per person. There is a family rate for two students of $225. Some scholarships are available, and information about them can be collected by contacting Foreman via phone (918 331-3258), email ( tforeman@tctc.org ) or conventional mail (6101 SE Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006).
Once the prizes had been awarded in Giovannetti's class on the morning of April 24 and the contingency from TCTC and BPSD had exited, a sense of normalcy returned to the room. Students went back to work on the art projects which had been the focus of their attention prior to the surprise visit. However, as was the case during the art contest two weeks earlier, they had once again been reminded of the upcoming 2008 Camp Extravaganza and the fun it promises this summer.
The winners of the 2008 Camp Extravaganza T-shirt design contest, eighth-grade students Daniel Kaiser (second from left) and Andrew Casey (second from right) display some of their winning as well as their decorated entry April 24 at Madison Middle School as the Tri County Technology Center's Tonya Foreman (far left) and art teacher Julie Giovannett (far right) look on.