Author shows students fun, creativity of poetry
LEARNING TO WRITE POETRY can be as easy as twisting familiar rhymes, a Spokane author showed Trent Elementary students this week. Younger kids learned from children’s author Kenn Nesbitt about having fun creating different versions of well-known poems by inserting new subjects and words that rhyme. Older students talked with Nesbitt about using everyday subjects for original verses.
Nesbitt offered writing ideas Tuesday and Wednesday at Trent Elementary during assemblies and classroom talks. His books of poetry collections include “The Aliens Have Landed!” “Sailing Off to Singapore,” and “I’ve Seen My Kitchen Sink.”
“I come in and make them laugh so they’re convinced that reading is the most fun thing to do,” said Nesbitt between sessions. “And writing is the easiest thing to do.”
During an assembly for students in kindergarten through second grade, Nesbitt and students transformed the words from “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” to include a stop for ice cream.
“Is there a way we can make it funnier?” quizzed Nesbitt. “What else rhymes with stream?”
A girl in the audience came up with beam. “There are different kinds of beams,” responded Nesbitt, “sunbeams, and if you’re in gymnastics, balance beams, and laser beams. Who uses laser beams – mad scientists, teachers, aliens? Pick one?”
To the thought of aliens and laser beams, students quickly responded with “cool.”
The group’s new poem read, “Row, row, row your boat, quickly down the stream, being chased by aliens with a giant laser beam.”
Nesbitt, who visits 50 to 60 schools nationwide each year, also read some of his poetry to the children, often acting out the parts or using humorous voices.
During time for questions, one student asked how old Nesbitt was when he started writing poetry. He turned the answer into a lesson.
“When I was a kid, I loved poetry but I didn’t know you could write your own poems. I thought you had to go to the library to read poems. I didn’t start writing until age 32. I’m making up for lost time.
“I found out it was a lot of fun to write poems, so I just kept on writing them.”
Students advance in spelling bee
Bonnie Alford, a seventh-grader from Northwest Christian Schools in Spokane, and Janelle Wagnild, an eighth-grader from Valley Christian School, finished as top spellers in rounds of local, district and regional spelling bees. They will go on to compete in the 16th annual ACSI National Spelling Bee to be held in May in Washington, D.C.
The Association of Christian Schools International recently held its Northwest Regional Spelling Bee in Vancouver, Wash., with student representation from Christian schools in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. The top district spellers in grades five through eight study more than 2,000 spelling words. The bee progresses from published to unpublished word lists using a random selection.
ASCI National Spelling Bee contestants will face complex words similar to those used in the Scripps National Spelling Competition, the nation’s largest and most prestigious bee. All ASCI bee spellers will get to have a luncheon and a sightseeing tour of the nation’s Capitol after the bee.
Students place in poetry slam
Two Spokane Valley High School students won a third-place award as a team in the April 15 Get Lit! Youth Poetry Slam contest. They are Rachel Folsom and Rebecca Lawson. Their teacher is Sarah Conover.
CV district seeks nominations
The Central Valley School District is seeking nominations for meritorious service awards. The district’s 2005 Meritorious Service Awards will honor exemplary contributions by individuals and organizations toward student achievement. The deadline for submissions is 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Parents, students, district employees and employee organizations are encouraged to submit nominations in the following categories: certificated employee, classified employee and community member or group that supports students or Central Valley schools.
Nomination forms are available in schools or online at www.cvsd.org. For more information, call the Central Valley Public Information Office at 228-5405.
FBLA chapter recognized
The Central Valley High School Future Business Leaders of America Chapter was recognized by the Washington State Business Education Association as the Outstanding Local Chapter for the state at a FBLA conference held April 14-16 in Spokane.
To qualify, the chapter had to submit a copy of its local chapter annual business report documenting chapter activities and projects that meet award criteria. The chapter must conduct projects identified with FBLA goals, including professional development, community service, financial development projects, social and public relations.
The CV FBLA chapter also received the Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit, recognizing chapters that actively participate in projects and programs identified with FBLA goals. In addition, the chapter was awarded for having the largest local chapter membership and number of professional members in the Northeast Region.
Individual students recognized at the state business conference include James Lyons, a Central Valley High School senior and the FBLA chapter president, with a second-place in networking concepts, fourth in technology concepts, fourth in Visual Basic programming, and fifth in Who’s Who in FBLA. Josh Tempel and James Lyons placed second in local chapter annual business report. Andrea Avenger and Anthony Xin placed second in emerging business issues.
Lyons has qualified for the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Orlando June 22-27. FBLA is an organization for student leaders preparing business careers. The mission of FBLA is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership development programs. The CVHS Future Business Leaders of America adviser is Sherry Johnson.