Hicksville’s Katelyn Gilhuley could go on and on about how great her second grade teacher, Mrs. Schwartz was. During the last school year, Mrs. Schwartz taught Gilhuley how to add, subtract, multiply, divide and work through word problems. So when it came time for the Long Island Student Essay Contest, Gilhuley knew exactly what she would write about for the theme: “My Teacher Made This Fun!”
This just in, this just in,” Gilhuley wrote: “This year’s favorite subject is math! Go math! If you are in Mrs. Schwartz’s class, you know she makes math fun! If you ever get something in math correct, she stomps her feet in celebration. If you answer incorrectly she says, ‘nice try,’ and makes you want to try harder. Learning is fun because Mrs. Schwartz allows her students to write math on the board and solve the problems. We try to earn a party. Buckle down and stamp your feet! Learning math in Mrs. Schwartz’s class is a special treat.”
Gilhuley’s essay stood out among thousands of entries and she was named the grand prize winner in the Primary Grades Division.
“My principal came in to tell me that I won and my whole class clapped for me and congratulated me,” says Gilhuley. “I was pretty excited.”
For her winning composition, Gilhuley received a $500 gift card, as well as $50 from the PTA, which she is planning on saving to spend on “something cool or on college.”
As part of her prize, she was also able to record her essay at the studios of WBAB FM, where it will air on 11 radio stations in September including WALK FM, WBAB FM, and WBLI FM.
“I had to record my essay in one of the rooms and I got to take a tour of the whole studio. It was so cool. I liked everything,” said Gilhuley.
Eight-year-old Gilhuley will be entering third grade at Fork Lane Elementary this fall and has a wide range of interests. She likes playing lacrosse and softball, reading, art, going to pools and beaches and playing with her friends. She also takes dance lessons and collects peace signs, and loves to travel. And though she’s only eight, she already has an eye on her future.
“When I grow up I want to try to be an actress and singer,” she says. “And I also want to be really good at math.”
