Student's Day

Poets in Schools
Poets in Schools by Veronica Lake This year saw the inaugural inclusion of bringing poets to schools as a part of the Spring Poetry Festival and National Poetry Week. It was a small beginning with four poets going into four different schools to spread the creative voice to the next generation of poets. Annamaria Weldon, Andrew Burke, Frances Macaulay Forde and Peter Jeffery all gave most generously of their time to go to Applecross Senior High School, Carine Senior High School, Ocean Reef Senior High School and Mount Lawley Senior High School. At Applecross, Annamaria was bombarded with questions about her new collection of poems, which the students had read for pleasure and not study? There were so many questions that there was no time for writing, but the students were inspired by Annamaria's gentle dignity and honest response to their questions. She was wonderful. They have been writing after the event. Andrew Burke charmed the Carine students in his inimitable fashion, allowing boys especially to see that men can write poetry and still be funny and masculine. Frances Macaulay Forde had so much creative energy flowing she was invited back for further workshops and Peter Jeffery connected the poems of yesterday and now into a positive linking of ideas that made poetry relevant to young people today. In all the first sessions of workshops were effective and I hope they are expanded further in 2009.
Reviews by Frances Macaulay Forde: 1st School Visit for NPW: Last week, Veronica Lake arranged for certain poets to visit schools as part of National Poetry Week. I was chosen to visit Ocean Reef Senior High School and teacher Valerie MacIntyre with her Year 8a students. I talked about the WA Spring Poetry festival and National Poetry Week then read poems addressing the themes. I found the best way to connect with the students was to give them some personal insight so spent a while talking about my background and my poetry. (I even promised to bring photos of my husband from when he played in a 70's band.) After that the hour sped past but what fun! I had a ball and if five students writing poems - as I spoke, then lining up to read them to the class is the measure of a visiting poets success... then I guess we were - I was and had a great time doing it too! Here are a couple of photos of some of the star students with myself and the teacher, taken at the end of the lesson. Thanks everyone! Frances 2nd Visit to Ocean Reef SHS: I was thrilled to be invited back to ORSHS on a regular basis by teacher Valerie MacIntyre; more Tuesday lessons until the end of term. It's beginning to feel like home! So this week, apart from telling the class how successful the Official Launch and Poets Corner @ Pages Cafe were, we also talked about Cinquains, Tankas and Haiku. The star students again wrote poems and jumped up to read them to the class. They blew me away with their obvious enjoyment of the medium. The subjects ranged from serious to ridiculous - from Gallipoli and suicide in war, to a tongue-in-cheek question 'Are you an Idiot?', to monsters, to Mums to unrequited love (of course). What I enjoyed the most was their enthusiasm, their need to share their words and their pride in achievement. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Looking forward to the next session. Frances.

Poets will be visiting several schools around the metropolitan area
Organised by Veronica Lake
Contact: votiveoffering@gmail.com