We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The twenty-four students in Mrs. Emily Scofield’s third grade classroom can now say that they will be published authors. They were selected to be published in the 2020 edition of Young American Poetry Digest. The final step in the publishing process is for the students and their parents to complete, sign, and return permission slips by May 20.
After finishing a class project on writing haiku, the students submitted their poetry to the Digest. The poems are on topics that range from animals to vacation spots, with nature being a key theme. Their poetry accompanies this article.
A traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables. It has five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last line. Often focusing on seasonal references or natural phenomena, haiku emphasizes simplicity, intensity, and directness of expression. A haiku poem does not rhyme.
On April 20, Mrs. Scofield received a letter from Brittney Pollard, Project Director for the Young American Poetry Digest, informing her that the poetry written by her entire class had been selected for inclusion. Pollard’s letter declares: “These students submitted poetry that was well-written for their age level.”
Poems are selected for publication by a panel of educators who evaluate the overall quality of each poem based on the student’s age, grade level, and five qualifying criteria: Creativity, Age-Appropriate Language, Sensory/Figurative Images, Structure, and Poetic Techniques.
First published in 1994 by Expressive Education, the Young American Poetry Digest is designed to share young talent with others, to supply a national audience for student writing, and to provide a publishing opportunity for young poets. Schools around the nation are invited to participate in the National Schools Project (NSP) by submitting their students’ most creative poetry. Although not all poems submitted are selected for publication, the Expressive Education organization makes every effort to include as many authors as possible.
According to the Expressive Education organization, the primary purposes of the NSP are to encourage student writing and to provide an audience for student poetry. “We want kids excited about writing.”
As a participating school in the project, Meadowlark Elementary will receive a complimentary copy of the Digest. Pollard reports that those copies will be mailed by October 31.
When Mrs. Scofield learned that all of her students had been selected for publication, she reported that she shouted a "woohoo!" and did a little dance. “It felt a little weird celebrating this on my own, so I made a video to post on our Meadowlark Facebook page so I could spread the word. I am so proud of all the students,” she exclaimed.
Hawaii
Hawaii is fun,
To soak in the sun and run.
Go there and you’ll see!
By Abby D.
Rain
Rain drips on my nose.
Rain, rain, how I love you so.
Rain don’t go away.
By Charley N.
The Black Wolf
I saw a black wolf,
When I went to Seattle.
It did stare at us.
By Rhett H.
The Dog
Look a service dog!
He is doing his job well.
He is one smart dog.
By Zoë S.
Eagles
The Eagles lost twice.
The Eagles made a come-back!
The Eagles lost, NOOOOOOO!
By Tyler S.
The Bird
The beautiful bird.
The bird likes to hunt for food.
It has big orange wings.
By Tori S.
The Trees
They blow in the wind.
In the Autumn, the leaves fall.
In the Spring, they grow.
By Addilyn Z.
The Tree
The tree, oh the tree,
Silent and still as can be.
Standing gleefully
By Cynnloch G.
The Fox
Fox runs in the rain.
Foxes are orange and black, too.
Fox runs in the sun.
By Kyra B.
Nothing
Nothing. Ball. Nothing
Word, bird bee ee a bay yeah!
Bum, um spork forky!
By Aidan Z.
The White Wolf
The white wolf has fur.
It has really sharp, white teeth too.
White wolves live up north.
By Oliver N.
The Wolves
Wolves are a great sight.
They are strong hunters at night.
They are beautiful.
By January J.
The Brave Knight
The brave knight sits tall
On his courageous, black horse
To win a princess
By Amanda M.
The Moon
The moon can be dark.
The moon is smaller than Earth.
The moon orbits Earth.
By Isaac Y.
The Flag
It blows every night,
Over the United States.
It’s a grand old flag.
By Hudson C.
The Fawn
The fawn is little
Jumping the fence with his legs
Up high in the air.
By Lillie S.
The Beach
With all the floaties,
With all the sand on your toes,
And the sun is bright.
By Ashton K.
The Chick
The chick runs around
And is very loud and small
With yellow feathers
By Colter S.
Foxes
Foxes are bright white.
They blend into the grasslands.
They are very sly.
By Cassidy D.
Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are big
Hairy, eat bones, and rough skin!
Check on dino’s friends!
By Beau E.
The Hunter
The strong night hunter.
The fierce night hunter watching
With its claws and teeth.
By Bridger B.
The Jungle
The jungle is big.
Tons of trees and animals.
I wish I could go!
By Wacee S.
Cats
They are nocturnal
Strong fierce, night hunters with claws
They are little cats.
By Kollin G.
The Horse
The horse is graceful.
The horse runs through the fields fast.
Saddle up and ride!
By Lane W.
