I have often told prospective parents that one of my favorite aspects of the lower school curriculum is the writing. And that is first and foremost because I am a parent! And I LOVE to write. So seeing that love passed onto this next generation makes my heart sing.

Our curriculum takes writing to a different level. Our students truly understand genre, nuances, point of view, and writing styles. They are being taught how to think as writers every bit as much as they are taught to be readers.

However, the 2nd Grade Poetry Reading even took me by surprise. This group of kiddos had been studying different genre of poetry. GENRE OF POETRY! We are so beyond the basics here. This is what truly sets our students apart.

So I sat in amazement as the students described the different types of poetry they had been studying: cinquain, diamante, haiku, acrostic, and free verse. And then listened with delight to each student recite an original poem of his or her own.

The icing on the cake was afterwards, we were told to “snap” for them and not clap. After all, this was poetry. You snap at a poetry. That’s just what you do.

Thank you, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Erb and Mrs. Powers, for instilling in these children to passion to read and write and the confidence to share their own original writing in front of an audience. You guys are amazing teachers. And you are producing amazing kids.

And my little poet sure was proud.