PINEHURST — A budding artist at Pinehurst Elementary School got her first major display after being selected for a state-wide calendar.

Every year the Idaho School Boards Association asks schools to submit student-created pictures based on a theme for its annual calendar. This year, the theme was “what I want to be when I grow up… as seen through the eyes of Idaho school children.”

PES first-grader Katie Zhu was one of the 12 students to have their picture as part of the project.

Zhu is a member of Mrs. Ivie’s class and her picture will be featured for the month of August in the 2021 calendar.

Ivie was thrilled just to get Zhu to participate as she didn’t initially want to submit her artwork, but Ivie and Zhu’s fellow classmates were very supportive and that was the push she needed to agree to be in the contest.

“Our whole class could see how talented Katie was with her art,” Ivie said. “We thought it would be a good idea to enter the contest. We all thought Katie had a good chance to win. At first, Katie did not want to enter. I told her what the contest was and how we were all proud of her art. Later in the day, she changed her mind and told me she wanted to enter. And I am glad she did.”

According to PES Principal Mike Groves, Zhu is the first student from his school to be selected for the calendar, for sure in the last decade that he has been in charge at the school.

It probably didn’t hurt that when Zhu was picking her plans for what she wanted to be when she grows up — she went with teacher.

The calendars are paid for by Moreton & Company and can be ordered by calling them at 208-321-9300.