East Norwich student wins education contest
Ella Kopacz, a fourth-grader at James H. Vernon School in East Norwich, holds her prize-winning poem titled "The Wax Museum." She is pictured with James H. Vernon Principal Valerie Vacchio. Credit: Felicia Febrizio
An East Norwich fourth-grader was one of six winners nationwide in a contest that challenged children to think creatively about the types of learning experiences that captivate them.
Ella Kopacz, who attends James H. Vernon School in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich School District, took the top spot in the fourth-grade category of Education.com's 2019 Limitless Learners Contest, which asked participants to describe a time they had so much fun they didn't realize they learned something new. It was open to grades K-5.
Ella was selected for her poem titled "The Wax Museum," in which she expressed excitement about a mock wax museum held at her school last year. The project required kids to dress as historical figures and stand still until visitors pushed a button that allowed them to "come to life," school officials said.
"I felt really happy and wanted to scream, but my brother and sister were in bed," Ella, 9, said of winning.
Ella was awarded $1,000 for her school, $500 for college, and a free lifetime premium membership to Education.com for a teacher of her choice. She entered the contest on her own after learning about it at the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Public Library.
"Ella is a very talented student, and we are very proud she took the initiative to enter the contest," James H. Vernon Principal Valerie Vacchio said.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
