Ilchester pupil wins poster contest among first-graders

Student achiever: Jeffrey Hao

The student: Jeffrey Hao, 7

School: Ilchester Elementary

Special achievement: He took first place among first-graders for his artwork in a Fire Prevention Poster Contest sponsored by the Ellicott City Fire Station.

The theme of his poster: Keep walkways clear of ice and snow so firefighters can get through. "Because you can slip on ice and you can fall down and get hurt," Jeffrey said. "I showed a person with a shovel picking up snow and putting it into a pile. ... Then I drew a stairway up to my house, and then I drew a street way with snow and ice on it and I was digging up the street way." The poster was a classroom assignment for Jeffrey's art class.

What it was like to win: "I felt happy that I won the poster contest, and I told my mom." The fire department held a reception for award winners, who received a trophy and a shirt. The station framed and displayed the winning posters.

What he likes about art: "I like it because I like to draw, and I like to cut and color. I like the things that she [the art teacher] says we can do." He particularly enjoyed a collage project that involved folding and gluing.

Other interests: He plays soccer and basketball, and he takes piano, violin and tae kwon do lessons. Tae kwon do is "a kind of sport when you fight, a martial art," he said.