Judge Hamilton Awards Students for Creative Ways to Stop Bullying

Forty-three local students representing 25 schools throughout the county were recognized and awarded cash prizes in a packed courtroom of teachers, school principals, parents and excited youth in grades K-8. The winning student artists were participants in the 2018 Conflict Resolution Day Bookmark Art Contest sponsored by the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Inc. (DRC-MC).

Twenty-four art contest judges from 12 different organizations chose the winning bookmarks based on their creativity and message in showing how to “Say No to Bullies” and resolve conflicts peacefully. Judge Kathleen Hamilton, 359th Judicial District Court, presented the awards to all the winning students on Friday, October 19 at Commissioner’s Courtroom. Each student was also handed an anti-bullying book to be donated to their school in honor of their teacher. The anti-bullying books were donated by The Woodlands Bar Association and the Montgomery County Bar Association.

Dottie Eichman, Art Teacher at Oak Hills Junior High remarked, “My students enjoy this contest because it is thought provoking for them, combining problem solving with artistic talent. It relates to their lives and gives them a creative outlet to provide solutions to real life situations.”

The 2018 winning bookmarks are displayed at the Montgomery County Memorial Central Library for the next 30 days. The Conroe Art League turned last year’s 1927 bookmark entries into two, 3d Bookmark Collages that are on display at The Woodlands Art Council Spotlight on the Arts Gallery in the Woodlands Mall (second floor near the Food Court).

Before the ceremony, everyone in the courtroom took the Conflict Resolution Pledge, led by Darcy Thompson with the Association for Conflict Resolution, promising to use conflict resolution skills to resolve conflicts, encourage others to resolve conflicts peacefully, and to support use of conflict resolution skills to create a happier, safe environment for all. Several elected officials also took the pledge and posted their commitment on Facebook including Senator Brandon Creighton, Judge Wayne Mack, and Gil Staley, Chief Executive Officer with The Woodlands Economic Development Partnership.

'I enjoy watching the entire art process unfold with the Conflict Resolution Day Bookmark Art Contest, said art teacher, Julie Graham of Wilkerson Intermediate School. “Students experience creating an artwork with a meaningful message as well as the delightful ceremony rewarding their artistic efforts.'
The list of winners from the 2018 Annual Conflict Resolution Day Bookmark Contest can be found www.resolution-center.org/bookmark.

Alice Runkle, artist with the Conroe Art League, plans to turn this year’s bookmark entries (all 2007 of them) into a weaving project that student artists can participate in so that their work can be permanently on public display.
The Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Inc. (DRC-MC) is located in Downtown Conroe at 301 N. Thompson Street, Suite 106, across the street from the Courthouse and is celebrating 30 years of resolving conflicts. The Montgomery County Commissioner”s Court and Montgomery County Bar Association established the nonprofit organization in 1988 and the DRC-MC has been helping people with difficult conversations since that time. Mediation fees are administered on a sliding scale based on ability to pay to prevent disputes from escalating into serious civil or criminal matters.

Find out more about the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Inc. by visiting www.resolution-center.org. Visit their Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MontgomeryCountyDRC and call (936) 760-6914, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday for additional information.

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