**WISH GRANTED** FA5 - Poetry Residency

About the Residency

Kids Learn to Love Poetry with Real Poets in the Classroom

This residency offers students the chance to extend their understanding of the world and their place in it, to learn new skills, and to transform everyday language into art. Our poet-in-residence, Cassie Sparkman, works with all fourth grade students to teach them about different forms of poetry. As students are exposed to a variety of poems, they are also led through a series of activities which allows them to create their own individual works. The residency is completed with a culminating activity in which students showcase their poems. This program provides Bell with a poet to provide weekly instruction to four classrooms which can inspire a life-long love of the arts in your child!

Our children will learn to love and appreciate poetry by reading and hearing a wide array of great poetry (but not poetry written for children).

Who benefits?

• Students – Learn to enjoy poetry, hone their writing skills and exercise their creativity.
• Teachers – Professional development – teachers and principals are invited to participate in training that focuses on poetry as a vehicle for improving writing skills. Also, one less lesson plan for the lucky teacher to prepare—although the poets coordinate to integrate the poetry with other subject areas as the teachers wish.
• Parents – Enjoy watching your children write and perform poetry.

This "Suggested Wish" for the current Third Grade class will be implemented in the next school year when they are Fourth Graders.

Note: If you would like to donate online to more than one item, Razoo requires separate transactions for each item. As always, we encourage donations by check because using Razoo will reduce your donation to Bell by their 3% transaction fee. If you need a new form, please download it from the Bell School website. Online totals shown do not include payments made by check. Go to www.agbellschool.com/wish-list for complete item totals.