Hicksville Water District Holds Ceremony for 2025 Water Conservation Poster Contest Winners

Hicksville Water District Chairman Nicholas Brigandi, back, second from left; Commissioner Karl Schweitzer, back, far left; Commissioner William Schuckmann, back, third from left; and Superintendent Paul Granger, back, center; were joined by Holy Family School art teacher Sheila Ferreri, back, second from right; and Trinity Lutheran School art teacher Ellen Kerwin, back, far right; in celebrating more than two dozen winners of the HWD’s 2025 Water Conservation Poster Contest during the awards ceremony.

Ceremony Celebrates Students’ Passion for Water Conservation

The Hicksville Water District (HWD) recently held an awards ceremony to celebrate the 30 winners of the District’s 2025 Water Conservation Poster Contest. An annual tradition in the District, the poster contest is held for elementary students in the Hicksville Public School District, Holy Family School and Trinity Lutheran School. This contest allows students to learn about the importance of water conservation, as well as the necessity of protecting our sole-source aquifer. Water is our most precious natural resource, and this event allows students to express their own creativity as well as inspiring them to begin conserving water ahead of the very usage-heavy summer irrigation season.

“Our annual poster contest is always a highlight of the year for us and it’s a perfect way to welcome in the summer,” said HWD Chairman Nicholas Brigandi. “Every year, our community’s students continue to impress us with not only their artistic ability, but also with their ability to demonstrate an appreciation for the conservation and protection of our drinking water. We hope that this project helped them learn a little bit more on how important water conservation is, and their work makes us confident that Hicksville’s water will be in good hands for future generations.”

First, second and third place prizes were given for each grade level, with two additional finalists honored in each grade. The winners of the 2025 Water Conservation Poster Contest are as follows:

• Kindergarten
  • 1^st Place: Jasper Zhang, Fork Lane Elementary
  • 2^nd Place: Navreet Suniara, Woodland Elementary
  • 3^rd Place: Maalik Nayl, Woodland Elementary
  • Finalist: Jake Reyes, Woodland Elementary
  • Finalist: Riley Calise, Woodland Elementary

• First Grade
  • 1^st Place: Hafsa Khan, Lee Avenue Elementary
  • 2^nd Place: Sebastian Mars, Trinity Lutheran School
  • 3^rd Place: Sophia Rattu, Burns Avenue Elementary
  • Finalist: Zemira Miller, Trinity Lutheran School
  • Finalist: Afra Abiba, Old Country Road Elementary

• Second Grade
  • 1^st Place: Kayenne Kowalski, East Street Elementary
  • 2^nd Place: Sydney Cuadra, Trinity Lutheran School
  • 3^rd Place: Keira Morrisey, Holy Family School
  • Finalist: Thiago Pinos Garcia, Lee Avenue Elementary
  • Finalist: Leah Torres De La Torre, East Street Elementary

• Third Grade
  • 1^st Place: Michael Ross, East Street Elementary
  • 2^nd Place: Aizah Baig, Lee Avenue Elementary
  • 3^rd Place: Carson David, Trinity Lutheran School
  • Finalist: Behnaaz Kaur, Lee Avenue Elementary
  • Finalist: Allison Abraham, Holy Family School

• Fourth Grade
  • 1^st Place: Lucia Villarino, Lee Avenue Elementary
  • 2^nd Place: Maya Vega, East Street Elementary
  • 3^rd Place: Mia Cuadra, Trinity Lutheran School
  • Finalist: Melissa Antonia Valentin, Burns Avenue Elementary
  • Finalist: Abigail Gardner, Woodland Elementary

• Fifth Grade
  • 1^st Place: Liam Chan, Woodland Elementary
  • 2^nd Place: Jaden Mungin-Turner, Trinity Lutheran School
  • 3^rd Place: Christian Akanbi, Trinity Lutheran School
  • Finalist: Emily Kennedy, Lee Avenue Elementary
  • Finalist: Amisha Parhar, Burns Avenue Elementary

With the students showing more and more enthusiasm every year, the HWD is greatly looking forward to seeing what they create in next year’s contest.