Girl’s Photo Wins School Computers

First-grader Katelyn Johnson was the star Tuesday of Lemay Street Elementary School in Van Nuys, after taking first place in a photography contest to win 10 computers and high-speed Internet access for her school.

“When she found out she won, she said, ‘I kind of feel like there is a little party going on inside my head, I’m so excited,’ ” said teacher Carrie Hughes.

That party moved to the school’s blacktop when her 323 schoolmates, teachers and administrators gathered to thank her for the new computer lab.

Afterward, Katelyn’s first-grade class followed her from the assembly to a converted classroom for an official ribbon cutting.

“Thank you so much,” the children said. Then they quickly gathered around one of the lab’s newly wired computers and starting cruising the Web.

Katelyn won the computers and a PC for her home by taking the grand prize in a photography contest called “My Window.” The contest, sponsored by Time Warner Communications, asked kindergarten- through 12th-graders in the west San Fernando Valley, South Pasadena and Canyon Country to take a photograph of their community and write a 20-word essay about it.

Katelyn’s winning photograph, taken the first time she used a camera, shows two male teacher’s aides helping students on Lemay’s playground.

“There was a lot going on in her picture,” said Dean Backlund, one of the judges who works for Time Warner Communications. “There was a lot of drama there.”

Backlund said the judges, who included representatives from the Valley Cultural Center and the West Valley Symphony, appreciated that Katelyn captured young male teachers--dressed in today’s “cool” clothing--nurturing young children.

“This picture combats a stereotype,” Backlund said.

Time Warner Communications also will provide Katelyn and her school with free high-speed Internet access for one year.

Katelyn seemed amazed that her winning photograph was posted on the Web for the world to see. Her classmates “oohed” and “aahed” when they saw their familiar playground appear on the computer screen.

“This is a day that none of us will ever forget,” said Principal Connie Gibson.

Before Katelyn’s win, Lemay had only one computer with Internet access. Now, teachers will be able to bring entire classes to the lab for research and to enhance lessons taught in the classroom.

“I’m going to use the computers to work on science,” said Brittney Hernandez, 6.

For classmate Mihail Eric, the computers will come in handy for reading. But for Vincent Powell, 6, anything goes.

“Sometimes I use my dad’s computer,” he said. “I draw on it and sometimes I listen to music. Like ‘Who Let the Dogs Out.’ ”

Alexa Punzalan, a seventh-grader at Patrick Henry Magnet Middle School in Granada Hills, took second place in the contest.

KUDOS

Third-grader Cony Vasquez, 8, of Liggett Street Elementary School in Panorama City is one of three students in the nation to receive a $5,000 scholarship in the “Dare to Dream--Expect to Succeed” contest sponsored by Brainstorm USA, an Atlanta computer hardware and software marketer.

The contest, which is administered nationwide four times a year, asked kindergarten- through 12th-grade students to express a goal and demonstrate how they would achieve it. Applicants’ parents were asked to write a description of how they would support their child in his or her endeavor.

Cony, who wants to be an architect, made a small-scale village of wood, lighting it with miniature bulbs.

More than 2,000 students nationwide entered the contest. The three winners were from the Los Angeles area.

PROGRAM NOTES

Granada Elementary School has received a $20,000 Wonder of Reading grant, which it will match, to expand and renovate its library. The new library will have a place for quiet reading, workstations for tutoring and a technology center. Outdated and damaged books will be removed and replaced.

Administrators expect the updated library to open in May.

Wonder of Reading was founded in 1994 and has helped to renovate 48 libraries in the Los Angeles Unified School District with plans to tackle 18 more next year, including Granada Elementary.

For more information about Wonder of Reading, call (310) 289-1201.

Class Notes appears every Wednesday. Send news about schools to the Valley Edition, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax it to (818) 772-3338.

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” This is a day that none of us will ever forget. “

CONNIE GIBSON, Lemay Street Elementary School principal