Article by Phoenix writer Keira Quigley ’26:
Poetry Week, an annual week-long event sponsored by the English department, was held from April 28 to May 2 this year.
During Poetry Week multiple events were hosted by various English Department teachers after school.
Mrs. Tochelli hosted an event called Rhyming Rendezvous, which was like an escape room for students. Open Mic was held Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:30 in the auditorium. More than three dozen students took the stage to read their poetry or a favorite published poem in front of an audience of students and faculty.
Mr. Gary Jansen, a writer and editor as well as a Kellenberg parent, attended the Open Mic to support the event. He shared a reading of two poems from “Meditations at Midnight,” his collection of poetry and prose about grief, hope, and prayer. A copy of “Meditations” was provided to each student who read at the Open Mic as a joint gift from the English Department, Mr. Jansen, and The Renaissance, Kellenberg’s literary and arts magazine, which features student poetry, prose, artwork and photography.
The Renaissance is printed annually and delivered to all Kellenberg homes in mid June, so it will be in your mailboxes soon. However, The Renaissance is also available digitally if you visit PhoenixOnline and simply click the heading for The Renaissance.
Mrs. Page, a member of the Latin School English staff, who organized the Open Mic event, said, “It was inspiring to see students from sixth through twelfth grade take the stage to show their love of poetry. And as a Latin School teacher, I was truly proud to see our seniors staying after school on the afternoon before their Disney Trip to participate. They are role models for our young students here.”
Students stop by the Poetry Spice Jar display to sample some poetic flavor.
In addition to the after school events, English classes also celebrated Poetry Week by writing lines of poetry on slivers of paper to be placed in spice jars to illustrate the theme “Poetry is the spice of life.”
Junior Lauren Amato says, “It was a good way to start off our Poetry Week. I chose a line from ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allan Poe. Then we had the opportunity to read the quotes in front of our class, which I did. I enjoyed listening to my classmates and what they had to say about their favorite quote.”
The Spice Jars of Poetry were then included in a poetry display in the Auditorium Lobby the following week where passers by could spice up their day with a line of poetry. Visitors were encouraged to take a sample from a spice jar and bring it home to share with family for the refreshing words and ideas found in the lines.
One student, after choosing a line from a spice jar said, “I randomly chose this line, and I completely related to it. I didn’t expect that.”
As poet aficionados often explain, such relatability is so often the most powerful effect a poem has on a reader’s life.
English Dept. Chair, Mrs. Von addresses the sophomores for the Gatsby Festival.
English Department Chair Mrs. Von Schoenermarck said, “Between our Gatsby discussion and field trip and this week’s celebration of poetry, a love of literature is alive and well at Kellenberg.”
Kellenberg’s Poetry Week is hosted yearly and is coordinated with National Poetry Month in the United States. National Poetry Month is held in April yearly. Slight changes had to be made to work with Kellenberg’s trimester exam and the Easter Break.
