ORWELL — Elise Menguc, a third- grade home school student from Orwell, received third prize in UVM Extension’s 2022 Growing Works of Art contest. For the contest students from throughout Vermont were invited to submit an original story and artwork. The theme of this year’s contest was “Sharing your TREE-mendous story.” A total of 355 students from 14 schools and 23 families (home school and public school students working independently) entered the contest.

Entries were judged on creativity and originality and how well the story was told through writing and illustration. A Vermont State Park punch pass was awarded to the top entry in each grade. This year’s winners also will appear on Across the Fence, University of Vermont (UVM) Extension’s weekday farm and home program on WCAX-TV to read their stories and share their drawings.

Elise’s story reads:

My Elm Tree

I live on a goat farm and I like to climb on the elm tree that’s inside the goats’ pasture. My rabbit coop that my dad built is right underneath the tree and it gives them shade and it also gives the goats shade.

Sometimes in the evenings, when me and my sister are finished doing our goat chores, I climb the tree. It’s fun to climb it because it’s leaning sideways a little and when I get to the top, I can see the whole farm.