Elementary students participate in fire safety poster contest

Students at Robert Frost Elementary and Forest View Elementary participated in the Mount Prospect Fire Department's annual Fire Safety Poster Contest. The contest occurs during Fire Prevention Week and helps students learn about fire safety in a fun and engaging way.

This year's theme was "Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!" Entries are judged on originality, creativity and use of the theme.

The Mount Prospect Fire Department chose a first, second and third grade winner at each school and grade level. The final citywide winners received an award presented by the Mayor and Fire Chief, and had a snack with local fire fighters. More than half of the city wide winners for grades K-5 were from Robert Frost Elementary and Forest View Elementary schools.

In addition, a traveling trophy was presented to the school with the most student participation. Robert Frost won with 98 percent participation in the contest, while Forest View, another CCSD59 school, came in a close second with 96 percent.

Art teachers Moira Burdi at Forest View and Andrew Brand at Robert Frost expressed how they use the Fire Safety Poster Contest as an opportunity to teach students about various aspects of art and the importance of being a good citizen in the community.

Jim Miller, Fire and Safety Educator at the Mount Prospect Fire Department, said over 1,200 students from eight different schools participated.

"The work of the students gets better and better every year, and it gets more and more difficult to choose the winners," Mr. Miller stated. "The Fire Department has a great time looking at all the entries and seeing all the creativity and unique ideas that are presented. The students who participate and the teachers who support their efforts really make this happen. This great program couldn't continue without their excellent contributions."

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