A few weeks ago, my first grade son participated in Glebe Elementary School’s “Rhyme and Cheese” Night. Modeled after the always-fun Open Mic Night at Busboys and Poets, members of the PTA invited students of all levels to read their prose. In the words of more than one parent in attendance, the night was a smashing success.
Work was gathered via both teacher and student submissions. Participants were selected by the PTA and asked to practice their work before the big night. My own son read his piece to just about everyone we could find over the winter break. Not normally a writer, this program inspired him to write more than I’ve ever seen him write before. He was thrilled to participate. The program order was set, rotating throughout the grades, rather than clumping students of the same grade level together. It seemed to work well. Each child was introduced before heading to the microphone, the microphone was adjusted, and then the spotlight was theirs.
The pieces that the students came up with varied from serious (poetry about life’s phases) to humorous (one student read a series of hilarious haiku). As expected, the kindergartners strung a few sentences together while the fifth graders treated the audience to a few pages of prose.
The event was designed to showcase creative writing at Glebe Elementary. The volunteer who coordinated the event has offered her assistance to others who might be interested in replicating the event. Just leave a comment below and I’ll get your contact information to her!
Is there something unique happening at your school that you thing others might want to know about? Leave a comment and I’ll be in touch to talk about it. I’d love to be able to share more of the great things happening at area schools on these pages!
Elaine blogs about her children at Connor and Helen Grow Up!
