With literally hundreds of schools and more than 100

countries showcasing their student artwork online, Cheryl Judy and her art class at Sherman Junior High School rose to the top as their work in an online art gallery ranked No. 7 in the state of

West Virginia.

“Cheryl Judy deserves to take a step out of the art room and into the spotlight,” organizers of the award commented in a press release.

Judy has been recognized for outstanding leadership in the area of Art Education at Sherman Junior High School.

The school’s online art gallery, www.artsonia.com/schools/

sherman8, ranked seventh in the state, according to Artsonia.

Artsonia, founded in 2000, is the world’s largest online

children’s art museum, providing free, educational resources for children, families and schools.

“The Leadership Award

presented to Cheryl Judy honors teachers who go beyond the classroom walls to encourage family and community

involvement in arts education. The award also recognized

significant achievement in the area of technology integration within the school arts program,” according to Artsonia.

State rankings are based on specific criteria, which

demonstrates both aspects of the Leadership Award and during the 2008-09 school year, the Sherman Junior High School gallery showcased 449 pieces of artwork, was visited by 8,983 online computer users, and received 68 comments from friends and family, according to officials with the Artsonia awards.