COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO.188

September 16, 2005

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Jamestown 400^th Commemorative Postal Cachet Visual Arts Contest

Virginia K-12 students and visual arts teachers are invited to submit entries for postal cachet designs for the Jamestown 400^th Commemorative Postal Cachet Visual Arts Contest. The program affords students the opportunity to submit designed cachets in one of three categories: k-5, 6-8, or 9-12. The winning first-place designs will be reproduced on envelopes and presented as gifts to the winning students. The first-place visual arts teacher category design will be printed on a cachet, which will be made available for purchase at Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne during 2007. Proceeds from the sale of this cachet will be used to foster and support future Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation educational endeavors.

This project is being conducted under the auspices of Jamestown 2007 and its partnersthe Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, APVA Preservation Virginia and National Park Service (Historic Jamestowne), Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Virginia Department of Education, and the Williamsburg U.S. Postal Service Customer Advisory Council.

The first- ($500), second- ($300), and third-place ($100) winners in each category will be selected from the finalists and invited to an awards ceremony and reception at Jamestown in 2007. The major goal of the project is to reach all of Virginias students to raise awareness of our national history and culture, the visual arts, Virginia Standards of Learning, and stamp collecting.

Entries must be postmarked by 5 p.m., January 27, 2006. The finalists will be notified by March 31, 2006, and the winners by May 28, 2006. We encourage all k-12 students and visual arts teachers to participate in this exciting historic and creative program offered only to Virginias students and teachers.

For further information, please go to www.americas400thanniversary.com, special programs/commemorative stamps or contact Cheryle C. Gardner, (Cherry.Gardner@doe.virginia.gov),principal specialist of fine arts, Office of Middle and High School Instruction, at (804) 225-2881.

JLD/CG/ce