Poetry Day Brings Words to Life at The Marylhurst School

As part of our joyful celebration of Literacy Week at The Marylhurst School, we dedicated an entire day to the art of poetry—and what a magical day it was!

Thanks to Brennan Stafferi's thoughtful coordination, we were thrilled to welcome several visiting poets into our classrooms on Poetry Day. These talented guests, Hazel Rosel, Harper McKinnon, Alone ft. Company and Ty Brack spent the morning guiding students through the creative process of writing poetry. With warmth and enthusiasm, the poets helped students find their voices, play with language, and express their thoughts and feelings in verse.

From the youngest learners experimenting with rhyme and rhythm to older students exploring metaphor and imagery, every classroom buzzed with curiosity, courage, and creativity. Students were encouraged to see themselves as poets and their written work reflected a beautiful range of styles, themes, and emotions.

In the afternoon, the entire school came together for a poetry recital. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of the poets and listen as they shared their amazing and, in some cases, award-winning poems. The recital was filled with laughter, a few happy tears, and enthusiastic snaps, which we were taught was the preference over applause. Witnessing such confidence, vulnerability, and imagination from these poets was a great example to our students of how important expressing oneself is.

Poetry Day reminded us all that literacy isn’t just about reading and writing—it’s about connection, expression, and finding ways to share our stories. We are so grateful to Teacher Brennan and our visiting poets for making this day a meaningful and memorable part of Literacy Week.