Arts & Entertainment

Poetry Out-Loud at Nyack High School

For the second year, Nyack HS students will be participating in the Poetry-Out-Loud National Recitation Contest.

Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in conjunction with the Poetry Foundation, Poetry-Out-Loud gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves fully into selected poems, to memorize the poems, and to recite them – all within the framework of a judged/scored competition.

On Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 2:30 pm Round 2 of the competition – the building-wide contest - will be held in the school’s auditorium. Students who won Round 1 in the classroom will be competing to become the Nyack High School champion(s) and to secure a spot in the State competition to be held on March 24. English teacher Dave Sheehan is the lead teacher of the competition and is liaison to the Poetry Out Loud organization.

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Last year, the first year Nyack competed, a couple of students reached the final rounds of the state contest. Students winning the State finals will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington, DC to compete for the national championship on May 13-15. Nyack High School would also receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The winner of the National contest receives $20,000 and their high school a $500 stipend toward the purchase of poetry books.

The exercises have required students to closely read, study and analyze selected poems, research the poets and the historical time periods in which they lived, as well as memorize the poems. Once the poems are memorized, students then practice skills in recitation, speaking, presentation and delivery. Whatever the contest results, students have benefitted greatly from this experience.

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