Beachwood Patch Whiz Kid of the Week Teilah Simon

Age: 8

School:

Accomplishment: Teilah Simon is known throughout the second grade for her artwork, drawing pictures and using them for school projects regardless of the class.

Key to Awesomeness: Some kids play sports and others like to write. Teilah Simon is an artist.

Just ask her art teacher at the Amy Fishbach, who raved about her student’s ability to the school’s marketing director, Kathy Peskin.

“She thinks she’s a terrific artist,” said Peskin. “Teilah always has great ideas and always uses her imagination.”

Peskin nominated Teilah for this week’s Whiz Kid because she said the 8-year-old was known throughout the second grade for her artwork, especially her drawings. In social studies, Teilah chose to create a colored sketch of Rapunzel being pushed on a swing for a lesson about fictional stories and said she has uses art for every school project she is allowed.

“I don’t know I just love it so much,” Teilah said about drawing. “I love drawing people. I draw cartoon people a lot so that they’re funny and cute, with cross eyes.”

The only formal training she’s received is during an art class last summer while her family was vacationing in Chautauqua, N.Y. Before the school year ended this year she made glow-in-the-dark chalk at home and drew portraits on the sidewalks outside her home.

Her creativity also extends to other areas, including theater. Earlier this year she performed in The Wizard of Oz for the . Peskin said Teilah is also quite the fashionista.

“Teilah has great style,” Peskin said. “Every day she comes to school I love to see what she’s wearing, how she looks. She has great fashion sense.”

Teilah is also on a gymnastics team at in Beachwood.