Four years ago, I decided to start a local Youth Poetry Contest to encourage children ages 1st-12th grade to write and express themselves in words. This year was our biggest participation with 420 youth from 15 local school districts. Supported by Dixie Poets, Washington School District and Tuachan Saturday market which is where it started with encouragement from Rose Marie Broussard, it is now going strong.
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| Joyce Kohler does a group poem with the audience before the awards. |
This year's poems were based on the theme of "Remembering." It's amazing the depth of expression and understanding in these students poems. It was difficult to judge them but we selected 1st, 2nd, 3rd and honorable mentions in five different age groups. Judges were from local poetry groups.
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| The happy talented winners plus judge Shane Williams in red and me on left |
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| Local poets enjoy Joyce Kohler's reading of her award winning poems |
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| Thanks for RoseMarie for taking photos, Gary Christian, Shane Williams and Sue Leth for helping judge, Virginia Grenier for the gift books and Dixie Poets and Red Rock Writers for prize money donated. |