Final Competition Names Top Poetry Out Loud Students

By Eliza Hallabeck

“Welcome to our fourth annual Poetry Out Loud final. Give the poets a big round of applause,” said Newtown High School teacher Lee Keylock before an audience of students, family members, and judges on Tuesday, February 15.

Roughly 800 students participated in the Poetry Out Loud competition at the high school this year. In the last month, Mr Keylock joked to laughs from the audience, students could be seen standing at lockers and walking down hallways while reciting poetry.

“You really are seeing the top poets in the school this year,” he said, before introducing Dan O’ Connor, Grace McKinley, Maggie Kearney, Dana Greenfield, Matt Madden, Kamryn Harmeling, Lila Korman-Glaser, Erin Cunningham, Katie McMorran, and Amy Kung individually.

Each student at the final round on Tuesday had competed the week before, on Wednesday, February 9, during the semifinal round of the Poetry Out Loud competition at the school, after being named as the top Poetry Out Loud contestants from their individual English classes.

On Tuesday, the top Poetry Out Loud students at NHS each presented first the poem that had brought them to the final round, then a new poem chosen for the final round competition.

By the end of the evening, Lila Korman-Glaser was named the school’s Poetry Out Loud champion for 2011, with Amy Kung named as her alternate. Lila will go on to compete in the state level of the competition, scheduled for March 14. If she is unable to attend, Amy will participate in the competition.

For the second year in a row, NHS Principal Charles Dumais acted as a judge for the poetry competition.

“I try to take advantage of seeing kids doing great stuff outside of the classroom,” Mr Dumais said.

While the Poetry Out Loud program may start in the classroom, Mr Dumais said most of the work is done outside of classroom time.

“I think they were all great,” said Mr Dumais. “The toughest part for me may be differentiating, because the kids did a super job.”

Speaking as the school’s principal, and not as a Poetry Out Loud judge, Mr Dumais said students can learn skills in the program that he hopes will be incorporated into other aspects of learning at the school.

“Those skills of presentation are not learned in one sitting,” Mr Dumais said.

The event was also filmed this year thanks to members of the NHS tech team, according to Mr Keylock, for use as a teaching tool for future Poetry Out Loud competitions.