By Kathy Greeley, Literacy Coach
In spite of torrential downpours, a good crowd turned out for the 4th Annual G&P Poetry Night. Students and their families participated in six different workshops writing and illustrating poetry. Our workshops included:
- Illustrate A Poem with watercolors, crayons, colored pencils, and markers;
- Found/Borrowed Poems in which poets took a random group of words and found the poetry in arranging them;
- Sensing Treasures invited poets to select an unusual object and use their five senses to describe it;
- Poetry in Nature experimented with haiku, a form of poetry that traditionally celebrates the beauty of nature, and acrostics.
- Poems in Shapes introduced students to cinquains and diamantes.
We also had a very popular workshop called
Meet The Poet!. Mr. Jean Dany Joachim, a former Cambridge “Populist Poet,” had spoken and read his poems at our assembly launching Poetry Month on April 2. Students had so many questions for him and were so inspired by his poetry, we asked him to come back so we could hear more! Mr. Joachim also kicked off our Poetry Slam. About 20 students, ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade, came up to the microphone to share their creations of the evening with a very appreciative audience. Here are just a few of the poems we heard:
Flying pollen
Lying petals on the ground
Orange and many more colors
Wish on a dandelion
Elaborate rows of flowers
Roses I like
Smell so flowers too.
–By Kallie Alexis, Room 110
When she flies she
Soars night and day
The trees dancing in
The night while she flies
Away.
–By Shakia Afrose, Room 216
An old hour glass smooth soothing
If you’re really quiet
you can hear the sand dropping
one
by
one.
It’s like when a mouse is tiptoeing
Trying to get the cheese
From the mouse trap.
When I fall asleep
I watch the sand drop
one
by
one.
Tip
tip
tip.
–By Nyla Williams, Room 214
PLEASE NOTE:
Take a look at the
G&P Student Poetry Video, thanks to the ever-talented Jen Lavalle!
Even though April, the official National Poetry Month, has ended, we hope you will continue to read, write, and share poems throughout the year! Special thanks to Kathy Greeley for leading the celebration of Poetry month and organizing an amazing Poetry Night!