Thank you to our students for the precious gift of their words, for their courage and creative imagination… Thank you, dear students, for your soulful originality.
Thank you Mr Harris in your dedication and nurture of our young poets. I know that you have been an inspiration, mentor and guide. A wonderful evening!David Whyte, a great contemporary poet, thinker and philosopher, dedicates poetry to the simple context of words… words that he describes as having their unique beautiful beckoning uncertainties.
Virginia Woolf, further explains… words belong to each other… words do not belong to us, even though they may be our creation… they are not owned… they are living organisms, always evolving.
Words through verse, through poetry, are a gift.
Dr Max Caruso, Co Principal
Monday June 23rd saw the first ever Poetry Club soirée, a celebration the hard work and creativity of our secondary school ECA poets. With impressive readings form the students, head teachers and senior management, the evening was a meaningful showcase of talent and emotion. It was also an opportunity to distribute Not a Poetry Magazine – our first ever student-led poetry magazine featuring poems of different forms and accompanying artwork.
Poetry Club has been a place for collaboration and building confidence in English while allowing students to express themselves and articulate emotions. Through exploring different forms of poetry – from experimental “found poetry” to traditional rhyme and meter – we strengthen students’ skills and allow them to tackle truly difficult linguistic concepts such as rhythm and figurative speech.
In holding Soirées and recitals, we foster a supportive environment in which students can share their work and build connections – not only among themselves, but with teachers and even parents too. Those squiggly words on the page come alive, transforming into a shared experience. The students practice the skills of public speaking and can then take pride in their creation.
The Poetry Club Soirée was a success and I, for one, can’t wait to see what we create in the coming years.
