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Shaler Area student wins first in National Garden Club poetry contest

Shaler Area Elementary School student Isabelle Dutkovic’s creative writing skills are being recognized at the national level after receiving first place in the National Garden Club’s annual poetry contest.

Isabelle, a fourth-grader, entered the poetry contest at the local level through the Ingomar Garden Club when she was a 3rd-grader at Burchfield Primary School with the support and encouragement of now retired librarian Katrine Watkins. She placed first locally and at the state level in the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania’s contest. Her poem went on to compete at the national level this past summer.

The Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania has about 130 garden clubs with 5,500 members. The National Garden Club has about 5,600 garden clubs with 180,000 members.

“To place first in the state of Pennsylvania is an honor in itself,” said Chris Hawthorne, conservation youth chairperson for the Ingomar Garden Club. “But to place first place nationally is a very great accomplishment.”

This is the first time in the history of Ingomar Garden Club’s involvement in the contest that it has sponsored a national winner. Isabelle received a national certificate, an anthology of poetry with her published poem and a check from the Ingomar Garden Club.


Shaler Area girl wins National Garden Club poetry contest
TribLIVE | Neighborhoods article Sept. 28, 2015

Post-Gazette article Oct. 9, 2015
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1800 Mt. Royal Boulevard     Glenshaw, PA. 15116     P 412-492-1200     F 412-492-1236
1800 Mt. Royal Boulevard Glenshaw, PA. 15116 P 412-492-1200 F 412-492-1236
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