News

Congrats to Upper Elementary students Leela Gupta and Clementina Pascavage on their winning entries in the 2026 Georgia River of Words Environmental Art & Poetry Project. 

Created using watercolor and marker, Clementina’s entry, Under the Sea (pictured), was selected as the Dragonfly Award winner! This award, given each year in honor of Petey Giroux, the first state and national coordinator for River of Words, reflects what the organization feels Petey would have chosen. The dragonfly, an indicator of clean water and a favorite of Petey's, symbolizes her free-spirited, fun-loving nature. 

Leela’s poem, Lion of the Wind (included below), was selected as a Georgia State Winner for Category II (grades 3-5)!

Lion of the Wind by Leela Gupta

Fly away, dandelion, until your core goes bare.
Fly away, dandelion, spread your seeds everywhere.
And before long, they’ll grow up strong and the wind will find them again.
The seeds will blow, before they grow down by the watershed.

Thank you to Art Teacher Lexi Paladino for spearheading this project, which is so closely aligned with our Core Values: Creativity and Stewardship of the Environment. We know that opportunities like this allow students to develop an awareness of our natural world and encourage them to seek ways to have a positive impact on it.

Springmont is proud to have had winners in this competition 16 of the last 17 years!