Celebrating Winners of Hooksett Memorial School Poetry Contest

A big round of applause to the two student writers who recently received honors in the Hooksett Memorial School Poetry Contest, earlier this month!  As contest judge, I was impressed by the creativity shown by all the students who submitted poems to the contest.

First Place:  Kara McIntyre, Grade 4  

"Planet Earth is Beautiful in every way"

Please take care of Earth. Let nature calm you.

Always pick up litter. Never hurt trees.

Earth day is important. Time on Earth is precious.

Every day except nature.

Always be aware of your nature surroundings. Ready? Let's plant trees!

Trees need to live.

Happy times need to stay.

 Inside isn’t always best.

Sometimes you hurt nature without knowing it.

Buds bloom.

Easter is near Earth day.

A bird flies through clean blue skies. Today you could make a difference. If you hurt nature, you heal nature. Fun on earth is common outside!

Under umbrellas watching rain fall. Lovely Earth.

Inside you, how do you feel about nature? Never turn against the world.

Each time you feel mad, see if nature calms you.

Very few people think about trees being cut down every day. Everyone is allowed in nature on this Earth.

Red, yellow,orange. All different colors you see in fall. Yellow?No. Red? No. Blue? In the sky sometimes. It’s winter!

Warm sandy beaches in summer. Always rainy in spring.

Your planet, my planet. We hurt and protect it. Whether we meant to or not.

My response as judge: Kara's poem has a confident voice and manages the challenge of writing a long poem in a great way. I was especially impressed by the poem's wisdom. Kara's making powerful statements in a poem, statements that adults should listen to! 

Second Place: Oliver Bedrosian,  Grade 4 

"Soccer"

Soft grass squishing

Outstanding saves

Coaches yelling

Coats get pulled closer

Everyone in tension 

Roars of the crowd

My response as judge: Oliver's poem is highly active because of the physical actions he describes (soccer) and also because of the powerful emotional details (how people watching the game seem to become tense, pull their jackets close, and then release that tension in the last line). He accomplishes a lot in every line.