“Caldecat” Awards Build Artistic Legacy at Way Elementary

Just as the prestigious Caldecott Medal is awarded to the most distinguished illustrated children’s book each year, the “Caldecat” Awards at Way Elementary (named after their Wildcat mascot) honor both exceptional books as well as student artists. The tradition dates back to 2019 and has grown into a unique showcase of student artwork in the media center.

Each January, students in grades 3-5 are invited (but not required) to submit a unique medal design for the best picture book(s) of the year. Designs must be circular, hand-drawn/colored, reference the current year, and be inspired by concepts like reading, illustrations, winning, and/or Way Wildcats. Classes vote on their favorites, ultimately narrowing it down to one winner and a few honorable mentions. 

The winning design is then placed on the book that Way students choose as their favorite of the year. The book is often (but not always!) the Caldecott Medal Book for that year, and sometimes more than one book is chosen if there are multiple student favorites that year. 

Congratulations to Madilyn Orlando (grade 5), whose design was chosen as the 2026 “Caldecat” Award! Orlando’s medal will be featured on all media center copies of this year’s Caldecott Medal Book, "Fireworks", illustrated by Cátia Chien and written by Matthew Burgess, as well as a few other favorite titles identified by students this year. “I always love getting new books so it inspired me to encourage everyone else to love books as much as I do,” wrote Orlando along with the submission. Four other submissions received honorable mentions based on student votes. Congratulations to all the winners! 

Media Center specialist Melissa McDermid Wiercinski is new to Way this year, and chose to continue the tradition begun by predecessor Cynthia Zervos. “Continuing the Way Caldecat was an easy decision to make,” shared Wiercinski. “Students asked about it, so I knew it was something near and dear to them. I was excited to see their creativity shine as they turned in entries. I added asking students why they drew what they did. I think reflection is a great part of life and learning!"

Over time, the “Caldecat” student designs will become a time capsule, reminding future generations of Way students which books were most memorable years ago. A future Wildcat might even discover a new favorite among these medal-adorned books.