Brookdale School students share poetry with Verona Board of Education
Loose change, lint and cell phones usually line the inside of pants pockets, but for one day, poems could also be found there.
Students at Brookdale Avenue Elementary School celebrated "Poetry in your Pocket Day" last month as children carried literature with them and, if asked by one of their peers, pulled the poem out and shared it with one another at a moment's notice.
Principal Richard Rampolla and a group of students continued the poetry trend at an April 29 Board of Education meeting as they presented a selection of composition pieces.
"There are many reasons to read and share poetry," Rampolla said. "One reason is that poetry invites us to use our imagination."
It also improves reading and writing skills, and allows people to "explore their feelings," Rampolla continued.
A dozen Brookdale students in Grades 1-4 stepped up to the microphone during the meeting to share some of their favorite texts.
First-graders Ella Scipione and Ryan Gray both wore pajamas to the event because their poems related to sleeping (and also, because they were going straight to bed after the meeting, Gray said). Their classmates Olivia Cusumano and Landon Lareau opted for animal themes, which led Superintendent of Schools Steve Forte to describe one about a boa constrictor as "scary."
Carley Holland and Riley Ying attended the meeting on behalf of the second grade and read "My Loose Tooth," and "What If," respectively.
The third-graders wrote their own poems, with Tigerlily Fischer, Kaimana Voelkl and Kimi Horton as the original authors.
The fourth grade, represented by John Rosinski and Emma and Lucy Hogan, featured Shel Silverstein heavily. Rampolla said Silverstein is a favorite among the students.
The principal wrapped up the presentation by reading some literature himself, opting for "Pass the Poems, Please," by Jane Baskwill.