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East Maine District 63 announces Winter Card Contest winners

At its Dec. 5 meeting, East Maine School District 63’s Board of Education recognized the nine winners in the District’s 2024 Winter Card Design Contest. The top winner attended the meeting while other winners watched online as all of the winning artwork was shared in a special presentation. Top honors went to Apollo second grader Ubaid Sabith, a Des Plaines resident, whose swirling winter sky and snow-covered trees are featured on this year’s District 63 winter card.

District 63’s card design contest — now in its ninth year — is a chance for all students, in prekindergarten through eighth grade, to submit a winter design and vie for the chance to adorn the district card, which is mailed to more than 300 community leaders, parent leaders, elected officials and donors. This year, the district received more than 50 entries. District administrators and other District 63 staff judged the pieces “blindly,” without knowing student names or schools. The other Best in Grade winners are:

• Preschool: Samriddh Thakur, Des Plaines, First Steps Preschool

• Kindergarten: Adriela Borz, Morton Grove, Melzer School

• First grade: Pritesh Mohanaranga, Des Plaines, Washington School

• Third grade: Raheeba Farhan, Morton Grove, Melzer School

• Fourth grade: Jitin Goverdhanam, Des Plaines, Mark Twain School

• Fifth grade: Ajeesh Mohanaranga, Des Plaines, Apollo School

• Sixth grade: Mariyah Melethe, Des Plaines, Gemini Middle School

• Eighth grade: Misheel Bayanbileg, Niles, Gemini Middle School

There were no 7th grade entries.

All winners received special certificates from the board while Sabith received a frame featuring his artwork and certificate.

District 63 offers a rich educational setting with a multicultural perspective to 3,700 students in the diverse communities of Des Plaines, Niles, Glenview, Park Ridge, and Morton Grove. The district’s five elementary schools, Gemini Middle School, First Steps Preschool, and Expanded Learning programs foster each student’s academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth and achievement. For more information, visit emsd63.org.

Apollo School second grader Ubaid Sabith's winning artwork, which appeared on the District 63 cards. Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
Preschool Best in Grade winner Samriddh Thakur Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
Kindergarten Best in Grade winner Adriela Borz Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
First grade Best in Grade winner Pritesh Mohanaranga Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
Third grade Best in Grade winner Raheeba Farhan Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
Fourth grade Best in Grade winner Jitin Goverdhanam, Des Plaines, Mark Twain School Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
Fifth grade Best in Grade winner Ajeesh Mohanaranga, Des Plaines, Apollo School Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
Sixth grade Best in Grade winner Mariyah Melethe, Des Plaines, Gemini Middle School Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
Eighth grade Best in Grade winner Misheel Bayanbileg, Niles, Gemini Middle School Courtesy of East Maine School District 63
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