It was Sunflower Contest Day for students at Ronceverte Elementary School on Monday, Oct. 1, with 12 students participating from Kindergarten through third grade.

In Kindergarten, Kaylee Copeland was the classroom winner with a 27” sunflower, and Christian Fioveroa was second with a 19” sunflower in Ms. Robin Jones’s room. The first grade classroom winner was Lucas Schmidt with a 29” sunflower and teacher Ms. Nicki Wolfe. Andy Dunbrack from Ms. Holly Ridpath’s class was his class winner with a 48” sunflower, second place was Jason Dolan-White with a 40” sunflower.

In the second grade Madelyn Sheets entered a 46” sunflower for class winner with teacher Deboral Johnson, and Sativa Dunbrack was class winner with her 48” sunflower in Ms. Savanna Morgan’s room. In the third grade, Ethan Dowdy was both the classroom winner and the grand winner with a 53” sunflower, Mykah Judy had a 37” sunflower, Lilian Long had a 22” sunflower, and Randy Reyes entered a 43” sunflower all in Jessie Bailey’s class. Piper Reyes entered a 35’ sunflower in Nicole Dixon’s class.

This is the second year Ronceverte School has participated in the Sunflower Contest sponsored by the Lewisburg House and Garden Club.

The program is a conservation project sponsored by the club to encourage the students to grow sunflowers and provide songbirds natural food during the winter months.

Judges in addition to Chair Townley Hamilton were Suzanne Perilli Hancock, Mary Jo Thompson, and Marit and Don Withrow.