This year’s projects for the annual Jean Saunders History Contest for Philipstown seventh-graders will be available for public viewing from Saturday, Dec. 1, through Wednesday, Dec. 12. The projects can be viewed during regular museum hours, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission will be free during this time for anyone who wishes to view the projects. This year, over 40 students from the Garrison and Haldane Schools have submitted projects.

Students, parents, family and friends are invited to attend the Saunders Contest awards ceremony and reception on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m., where the contest winners will be announced. Awards ceremony attendees will be treated to pizza, discussion with their fellow competitors, and a viewing of all contest entries. The ceremony will also include remarks on the competition and student submissions by PHM Director of Administration John Duncan and one of the contest judges, Jonathan Kruk.

The contest project rules and criteria were presented in a PowerPoint lecture to Haldane and Garrison seventh-grade social studies classes on Oct. 3 and 5. Students were also granted access to a Saunders Contest blog, which provides an online resource containing the contest rules, judging criteria, and subject ideas submitted in previous years. Typical entries focus on the history of Philipstown and the Hudson Highlands, and include essays, posters, models, audio-visuals, and other creative presentations. Students must demonstrate their usage of primary-source documents and materials and draw logical conclusions from their research.

The contest is named in honor of the late Jean Saunders — teacher, historian and first curator of PHM. The museum is located at 63 Chestnut St. in Cold Spring and is open Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. More information is available at 845-265-4010 or at putnamhistorymuseum.org.

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