Kinnelon's 2010 Poetry Contest

The third annual Kinnelon poetry contest took place this past April 2010 with the showdown on April 29th. Sadly, I was out of town and missed witnessing how much our children have blossomed since last year in their poetic abilities. However, Ted and my Flipcam filled me in, and Galina Adair who heads up the Kinnelon Children's Library provided me with the facts... Galina reports as follows:

We had over 100 entrees fro the Written part of contest. Over 50 signed up to recite - BUT 42 actually did show up and perform/recite their poem of choice.

PNC Bank very graciously donated the $100 Savings bond for each category, i.e. $100 for every winner in grade categories and written/recitation ($600 worth).

Here are the Kinnelon 2010 POETRY CONTEST WINNERS!!!!

2010 Kinnelon Poetry Contest Recitation Winners

K-1st - Emma McManus
2nd-3rd Jenny Vecchione
4th-5th Anna Rose Collins

2010 Kinnelon Poetry Contest Written Poem Winners

K-1st - Julia Hackney
2nd-3rd - Brian Haines
4th-5th - Jessica Lisowski

These are their poems:

I LOVE MATH
by Julia Hackney, 1st grade

I love to subtract
I like to add
I like math and I think it's bad

I love numbers
They are fun to divide
They sometimes are even
multiplied

There are all different shapes
That we see everywhere
Like a stop sign is an octagon
And a window is a square

Math helps me measure
I can use my ruler.
Some people use centimeters,
but I think inches are cooler.

From my circular hula-hoop
To the squares in my path,
Everything everywhere
Is made up of math!


TURNING AROUND IN A TWISTED MAZE
by Brian Haines, 2nd grade

Turning around in a twisted maze
Needing to go all different ways.
Stars shooting, lights getting lit,
Gotta stop living in this illusion
Why does it always have to be something unexpected?

Something just popping out of nowhere.
Looking down for a hill so high,seeing all the birds just pass by.
Why does everything I see have to be upside-down?
Why can't I just turn my life around?
Spooky eyes in a weird gaze.
Looking beyond the universe all different ways.


WHERE I'M FROM
by Jessica Lisowski, 4th grade

I'm from mysterious books
I'm from an older sister and crying younger cousins
I'm from colors of the rainbow
I'm from my room
I'm from fights with my sister
I'm from pets
I'm from winter and summer
I'm from shopping with my mom
I'm from friends
I'm from hot chocolate and Christmas
I'm from hot gingerbread cookies coming out of the oven
I'm from dancing, soccer and softball
I'm from love and family

Congratulations to the winners of the 2010 Kinnelon written poetry contest and the poetry recitation contest! And, thank you, Galina, for creating such exciting opportunities for our children and sharing the results with us here!

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Emma participated in both the written poem and the recitation contest. This is her third year participating. Here is her poem:

My Spring Allergies
by Emma Whittemore, 2nd grade

My allergies annoy me.
They're as irritating as can be.

I sneeze and sneeze and sneeze again,
I rub my eyes and nose.
I've taken all the pills and drops,
I will not smell a rose.

Boy, I hate that pollen so!
It looks like someone punched me, no?

I rub and rub and rub again.
I have to take a bath
To clean my hair and face
'Til pollen is no place.

There has been so much rain,
Mold has become a pain.
Trees are my enemies, too.
Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!

Complaining won't work.
Rubbing won't work.
Taking medicine won't work.
Even ignoring it won't work.

My allergies definitely annoy me
And are as irritating as can be.

And the video. You'll note that it starts at her second stanza.
[Subscribers, please click on this YouTube link for Emma's poetry recitation.]


We are very proud of her!