East Holmes middle school girls create ideal rooms with a view
After seeing the incredible attention to detail, the commitment to design excellence and the creativity involved in the annual Miniature Bedroom Contest for East Holmes eighth-grade girls, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see a whole lot of interior designers and architects arise in the near future.
Eighth-grade students at Wise, Mt. Hope and Chestnut Ridge elementaries were asked to design bedrooms in a 1-foot square wooden box. The contest has been going on for decades, and according to Janna Mast, seventh- and eighth-grade consumer science teacher in East Holmes, the girls look forward to the bedroom challenge well before their eighth-grade year.
“The girls look at getting new ideas in seventh grade and even before that,” Mast said. “A lot of the girls’ mothers designed boxes when they were in school, so they will get their mom's bedrooms out and look at them for ideas, but many of the ideas get passed along from year to year. This contest is something they really look forward to, and this is such a unique contest that gives them a chance to stretch themselves beyond the typical classroom experience.”
Mast said that while the contest is an old one, she implemented a new twist into the bedroom contest this year. Mast brought the industrial arts boys into the fray by having them work with the girls to design the boxes themselves. The girls had to design the blueprints, placing windows and doors where they wanted them, and give the plans to the boys, who designed the boxes in class.
“It gave the girls and the boys a vested interest in creating the boxes themselves, and the boys really stepped up to the challenge and did a great job,” Mast said.
Also new to this year’s event was the assembly the girls listened to while they awaited the judging to be completed.
“We always have a presentation for the girls, and this year I wanted something a little more interactive, so I opted to create a job fair for them to present some different jobs that were available to them in the area,” Mast said.
Mast invited seven different businesses to share a bit about what they do and provide tips on what they are looking for in employees. Included in the list of local businesses were Coblentz Chocolate, Walnut Creek Cheese, Homestead Furniture, Keim Lumber, Berlin and Charm Fabrics, Carlisle Printing, and Der Dutchman Restaurant.
But the real draw for the day was waiting to see who was going to take top honors in the bedroom contest.
Dream Bedroom contest winners overall were Karen Miller, Wise, first place; Heidi Schlabach, Mt. Hope, second place; and Grace Hershberger, Chestnut Ridge, third place.
Mt. Hope (first, second, third and honorable mention) went to Heidi Schlabach, Jenna Hershberger, Bethany Miller and Lila Yoder. Wise went to Karen Miller, Julie Raber, Rhoda Miller and Marilyn Yoder. Chestnut Ridge went to Grace Hershberger, Diane Beachy, Heidi Beachy and Linda Shetler.
Seventh-grade students from the three schools were invited to design MyPlate posters to extol the virtues of healthy eating and getting daily nutrition by eating the proper amounts of food in the food pyramid.
Food Pyramid MyPlate Poster Contest overall winners were Aleah Troyer, Chestnut Ridge, first place; Jolene Yoder, Chestnut Ridge, second place; and Rachel Miller, Wise, third place.
Mt. Hope (first, second, third and honorable mention) went to Cheryl Miller, Geneva Miller, Grace Miller and Kaitlyn Yoder. Wise went to Rachel Miller, Jenna Miller, Neva Hershberger and Margie Miller. Chestnut Ridge went to Aleah Troyer, Jolene Yoder, Rhoda Swartzentruber and Caroll Miller.
Quilt contest overall winner was Elaine Miller, Wise, first place.
Sadie Beachy of S. Flynn Designs used her interior design talents to judge the bedrooms. Participating in her first judging of the contest, Beachy was amply impressed by the effort and skill the girls showed in designing their bedroom suites.
“I remember seeing these bedrooms and looking at them at Keim Lumber, but this is my first time judging,” Beachy said. “It is so hard to pick a winner. They are all so creative, and I know they all worked so hard. But one of the things I really tried to give a lot of credit to were the girls who hand-made a lot of their materials. Still, it was a very difficult decision.”
Several impressive details stood out as she judged. A floor done with clear glue and small decorative stones was original. The overall winner, Karen Miller, created a unique look on her walls that gave her box an impressive look that really stood out.
“So many of the little details the girls used really stood out to me,” Beachy said.
Mast said Karen Miller brought in a tiny picture of a room she liked and told Mast she wanted to take the barely 1-inch photograph and make it come to life. She then set sail in creating a lot of the furniture and design of the room and nailed it.
The winners in each category received gift certificates donated by Berlin and Charm Fabrics. Additional prizes for all contestants were donated by Keim Lumber and Smith Dairy. The award-winning bedrooms will be displayed at Keim Lumber Nov. 10-17 and at Berlin Fabrics from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1. Winning posters will be displayed at Berlin Fabrics from Nov. 17 to Dec. 1.