By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
ROCKPORT — A Rockport Elementary student is one of only a dozen students from throughout the commonwealth to be recognized in a state bookmark contest organized by the Massachusetts School Library Association.
The association holds a bookmark contest every year. This year's theme, an integral part of the contest, was "School Libraries: Learning for Life."
Calvin Twombly, 7, won honorable mention in his grade category for a bookmark design featuring two children playing soccer and the motto — "Reading is sports for your brain."
Twombly, a first-grader, is the first Rockport student to ever achieve recognition from the association. This was the first year Rockport submitted entries to the contest, said Librarian Pat Hussey.
Hussey, with help from Art instructor Simon Paddock, considered 80 bookmark entries in three grade divisions (Division 1, kindergarten to grade 1; Division 2, grade 2 and 3; and Division 3, grades 4 to 6) before selecting three from each category to send on to the state.
Hussey said the task of choosing Rockport's bookmark finalists was a difficult one, because so many of the bookmarks were worthy of recognition.
Hussey was thrilled for Twombly's success and described him as a "great kid" who always works hard.
"You should've seen his face when he found out he won," Hussey said Friday.
As an honorable mention recipient, Twombly will get a number of prizes, including a personal set of 50 bookmarks of his winning design, an enlargement of his bookmark, a framed award certificate autographed by the judges, commendation from his legislators, an invitation to participate in the Awards Ceremony at the Statehouse in April, and a tour of the Statehouse on awards day. Hussey said Gov. Deval Patrick is scheduled to attend the ceremony.
"I get to go to the Statehouse," Twombly exclaimed Friday, "I think it's going to be really fun."
Twombly, who likes to read a lot and play sports — he's on a local soccer team and plays hockey — plans to distribute his bookmarks to friends and family, even his three sisters.
Hussey will present Twombly with his award at the Statehouse on Thursday, April 2. To see all the winning entries, people can log onto www.maschoolibraries.org.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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