Local Kids Share Poems at School Slam

Reprinted from the Northbrook Star, October 3, 2008
By JESSICA CANTARELLI, Staff Writer

A dimly lit room was filled with the sounds of snapping fingers and loud booms from bongo drums as poets took to the stage to recite their original works to a full house. The setting was not a coffee house or a theater, but the auditorium of Greenbriar Elementary School. And the poets were anything but pros, rather, amateurs as young as 5-years-old. More than 60 poetry-loving students along with their families piled into Greenbriar's auditorium on the evening of Oct. 1 for the school?s first student poetry slam.

The slam featured original poetry by Greenbriar students and was hosted by poet Bill Buczinsky, owner of A Child’s Voice in Arlington Heights. Buczinsky spent the last week conducting hour-long poetry workshops in each classroom as part of a district-wide poetry program. The slam served as a culmination of these events.

Ceci Hopper was among a group of librarians that helped bring Buczinsky’s program to District 28 schools and said the event was successful because so many people attended, even though it was not a requirement. “It’s been really great, he’s able to turn kids on the poetry,” Hopper said. “He has a real knack for that, and I can tell it inspires the kids.”

Buczinsky warmed up the crowd with rhythmic chants and songs, getting the children excited for their moment to shine. Of the 60 students that attended, 40 took the stage to share their poems. The poems varied in length and ranged from rhymes about rollercoasters to metaphors about the moon. Buczinsky gave each student a poetry workbook to help jumpstart their ideas, and the students had complete creative freedom when composing their poetry for the slam.

Greenbriar parent Sue Morris received a pleasant surprise when her third grader, Julia, 8, read a poem titled “My Mom” in which she told the audience what makes her mom great. “I’ve never had a poem written about me,” Sue Morris said. “So, I thought that was neat. This turned out to be a really fun night and I think it’s great to see what the kids came up with.” Julia Morris said that she was inspired by Buczinsky’s ability to easily come up with funny poems. “I just thought of my mom, so I started writing and that’s what came out,” she said. “I guess that’s just how poetry works.”

Buczinsky offered commentary after each poem, discussing the students’ use of metaphors or alliteration, treating the slam as a workshop in itself. “This past week has been like a million metaphors, to say it poetically,” Buczinsky said. “Each kid has been in their own world, which is really the heart and soul of poetry in the end. I just see the kids at this school are hungry for poetry, and they have a great energy.”

Jan Hincopie of Northbrook said she is proud of her first grader, Faith, 6, who read a poem about the Earth. “She decided she wanted to write a poem about the Earth and she sat down with grandma and grandpa and it was free flowing, she was putting it all on paper,” Hincopie said. “I think that shows what great support the school gives to the students and it teaches them to feel comfortable expressing their views.”

Greenbriar Principal Jill Weininger said she was surprised by the depth of some of the poems, and hopes to bring Buczinsky back to conduct more workshops at some point. “It takes a lot of courage for the kids to get up in front of a crowd and read from their hearts,” Weininger said. “This has been a success because it obviously brings out their creativity.But it boosts their confidence and has inspired them to write great poems.”