Middle school students win national poetry contest

Avery Chick
NLJ Intern
 
Often in education, teachers look for ways to help their students express themselves in themes of learning. Expressing yourself as a student can help build lasting connections to important content in school subject areas. Some students may express themselves in the arts, whether drawing or musical; others find literature and writing a helpful way to make these connections. The deeper into schooling that children get, the less opportunity they have to express themselves through their writing. Many assignments are geared more toward research and opinions on controversial topics rather than personal expression. Though this may be the case for most students, students in Mrs. Bartlett’s seventh grade class got the opportunity to do just the opposite. 
Last year in Bartlett’s English class, the opportunity arose to participate in a nationwide poetry competition in which each student submitted a poem. Bartlett said that she thought the contest would be perfect for her students, considering the class was in the middle of an annual poetry unit and some kids seemed to have a knack for the subject. Bartlett said the  competition involves kids across America in grades six through eight. 
“I just put it up on my board and told the kids (that) anyone that’s interested could come in at lunch and we would edit and get their content submitted,” she stated. 
Seventeen  kids signed up to have their poetry judged. Sometime during the summer Bartlett learned by email that the poems of three students had been selected to be published in a poetry collection book featuring selections from all over the United States. The three are Preslee Fitzwater, Baleigh Knight, and Kaitlyn Blumenthal.
“Each of them wrote deeply personal poems,” Bartlett said. “Very dark, very emotional, things like heartbreak, the struggles of middle school and even some fears of the future were all included.” 
Bartlett spoke highly of each student’s efforts and praised the grit they showed in sharing their stories with not only the local community but also the world. The book of poetry is being
sold nationwide.