Recently Kathy Baldwin Keenan '68, Mr Steve Rees, RHS Faculty, and Alumni Association president Lynne Beiermeister '69 had the privilege of judging the Poetry Out Loud competition at VRHS. Curtis Rodriguez, Gabby Pike, Min Zar, Brian Sousis, Shane Hamilton, and Emily Kretzschnar each recited 3 poems. Curtis and Emily had the highest scores and will move on to the regional competition.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.
Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that starts at the classroom level. Winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals.