Six students from Nicholson Elementary have been invited to present their winning artwork to Governor Haley Barbour, but to get there they are going to need a little help.

Earlier this school year, students from Nicholson Elementary were asked to participate in the Great Seal Art Contest sponsored by the Mississippi Art Commission. The goal of the contest was to embellish the Great Seal of Mississippi by making it more imaginative, creative and inspiring — encouraging people to think about the arts when they make decisions about education. The project was to focus on a variety of mediums and to be integrated into the curriculum of Mississippi studies.

Participating schools were asked to present two examples of the Great Seal at the Whole School Initiative Fall Retreat, a retreat for schools in the Whole School Initiative program. Mrs. Calamia’s fourth grade class and Mrs. Barrows’ Scottish Rites class represented Nicholson Elementary in the contest. Barrows’ class won the contest by creating a seal embellished with materials commonly found in Mississippi.

These six students have since worked very hard to earn enough money to make the trip to the state capitol to present their seal, an adventure they are really looking forward to, but they are still lacking in funds. Although the Mississippi Art Commission has yet to give an exact date for the students to travel, they are anticipating the end of March.

If you would like to help sponsor one of these children, please contact Debra Sluss at 601-799-2080 after 5 p.m. no later than March 21. Any help you can give to continue encouraging the creative spirits of these students is appreciated.