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Woodstock Union HS Poetry Out Loud Contest 2025

Woodstock tucked in its 2025 Poetry Out Loud Competition on February 12th, ahead of winter vacation, and just ahead of the second of three big snow storms. Twenty two students participated in the recitation competition, held in The Rhoda Teagle Library, and attended by peers in 9th through 12th grades.
**Pictured above: Owen Courcey as Accuracy Judge**

Poetry Out Loud is a national competition that has its inception in high school classrooms across the country, and grows from there to schoolwide- competitions, state regional competitions, a state final competition and ultimately to a national competition in Washington, D.C.
**Pictured above: Josh Byrne recites "The Conqueror Worm" by Edgar Allen Poe**

Recitation is a particular art. Poetry Out Loud has rigorous judging guidelines, encompassing a student’s physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding, and overall performance. Far more than memorization, in so many words recitation requires the competitor to be the “vessel” for the poem’s performance.
**Pictured above: Liam Wheeler recites "The Kiss" by Robert Graves**

Recitation asks the student to deliver the poem in a way that clarifies the poem’s meaning, makes its words, imagery, figurative language, rhythm and meter, even punctuation, the star, over the person delivering the art. It’s a nuanced experience, demanding exactitude as well as effective interpretation.
**Pictured above: Tula Klock recites "What to Say Upon Being Asked to Be Friends" by Julian Brolaski**

The range of ideas and wisdoms across the twenty two poems students selected from The Poetry Out Loud Anthology was remarkable, cautionary, and encouraging, depending. And yet, “at bottom,” all boils down to “Words” (Haaken Oates’ choice by Pauli Murray) -- words’ selection, combination and arrangement. To offer a small sample: there were pleas for unity and community in poems like Santino Bohren’s recitation of “About Standing (in Kinship),” and Vasco Malik’s delivery of “We all receive the invitation”; Sam Hauze’s prose poem selection, “Don’t Bother the Earth Spirit” and Agnes Kardashian’s interpretation of “Walking with My Delaware Grandfather,” along with Jake Blackborn’s rendition of “Wind, Water, Stone,” offered nostalgic respect for ancestral and/or earthly wisdom, revealing the power of reflection to offer a kind of present eternity.
**Pictured above: Tegan Miller recites "Summer" by Chen Chen**

A number of student selections grappled with war and heroism/anti-heroism, from long ago, as was the case with Luke Pomeroy’s interpretation of Rupert Brook’s “The Soldier,” and Ayron Romanczak’s rendition of Henley’s famous “Invictus,” to the present, as reflected by poems such as Zara Khan’s selection “From the Sky,” or Mimi Kanda-Olmstead’s recitation of “To the Oppressors”. As Kirkegard once said, “Where tragedy occurs, the comic is present.” Such was the case with Josh Byrne’s rendition of “The Conqueror Worm”. In the end, poems having to do with some kind of love and humanity seemed to take the top slots: Quinn Eckler’s recitation of “The Universe as Primal Scream” (Tracy K. Smith) and Liam Wheeler’s rendition of “The Kiss” (Robert Graves) tied for third place (157 points each), Lylah Zeitlin captured second place (170 points), reciting “Siren Song” (Margaret Atwood) and Tegan Miller emerged as Woodstock’s 2025 POL School Champion with 178 points and her recitation of “Summer” by Chen Chen.
**Pictured above: Judges and Scoring Team prepare for the next recitation**

Tegan Miller, ‘27, will represent Woodstock at the southern Vermont Regional Poetry Out Loud Contest to be held at The Barre Opera House on Thursday, March 6th. Tegan will recite “Summer” at that competition, along with a second poem, “Friendship After Love” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
**Pictured above: Poetry Out Loud work in the classroom: Guest Teaching Artist Geof Hewitt works with Liam Wheeler on "The Kiss" by Robert Graves**

The state final competition will consist of the top 5 recitations from the southern and northern regional competitions, respectively, and will take place at The Flynn in Burlington on Friday, March 14th, where finalists will recite three poems each to vie for the state champion and the opportunity to represent Vermont at the national competition in Washington, D.C. (April, 2025).
**Pictured above: Mr. Clifford addresses the competitors and audience**

Congratulations to all the students who participated with verve and rigor in Woodstock’s 2025 Poetry Out Loud Contest! Many Thanks to our 2025 judges: Mike Loots, Nathalie Kramer, Janet North, Detlef Hagge, Jessica Oakman, and accuracy judge: Owen Courcey. Ms. SJ as prompter and the dynamic scoring team, Heather Vonada & Andy Smith, along with scoring sheet “runner,” Jack Quicker, were invaluable to delivering a smooth contest, as were Mrs. Murphy and Ms Piccoli in “styling” the library space to accommodate the contest.
**Pictured above: A poem is a sweet treat, but so are Ms. Hayslett's homemade heart cookies, Abbie's homemade pumpkin bread and Perk's oatmeal chocolate chip fruit bars**

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CRAFT Students Present at Northeast Organic Farming Association Winter Conference

Schuyler, Teagan, and Ayron presented about the importance of native plants and the potential harm that can be perpetuated when we use invasive vs native colonist rhetoric. Using the Multisolving framework, they shared examples of how native plants have been part of their education and have benefited our school campus and community in a multidimensional way.

They demonstrated how to winter sow native plants and each participant got to plant native seeds to transplant at home. It was an honor to be part of this uplifting day that brought farmers and gardeners together from around the state.

Farmers and gardeners together from around the state enjoy students present at NOFA Winter Conference.

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VTLSP/OVX Students attended the State House Rally

Students meet with our local Representative Charlie Kimbell.

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Fine Arts Night

Greetings family and friends of MVSU Performing & Visual Arts Students!

We hope this message finds you well. Preparations are well underway for our first annual Fine Arts Night celebration, held at the Woodstock Union High School & Middle School on Thursday, April 3rd. We are excited to be inviting artists, actors, and musicians from all of the Mountain Views Supervisory Union. With over 650 students participating, it is sure to be an exciting event! The purpose of this letter is to provide you with logistical information regarding both the daytime rehearsals and nighttime event.

DAYTIME REHEARSAL - Musicians only

All music students will report to their school. Students not on the WUHSMS campus will then travel via school bus and return after lunch at WUHSMS. Students should bring a bag lunch for the day.

Rehearsals will begin at 9:10 am in the WUHSMS large gym and end at 11 am. Following rehearsals all students will eat together. Students will leave WUHSMS at 11:30 pm.

EVENING EVENT

Art Galleries - Open 5:30 pm - 8 pm with works visible throughout the school

Performance - 6:30 pm

Call time for the performance will be 6:15 pm sharp. Musicians will report to the gym (each school will have a designated area) to drop off personal belongings and to get any materials needed for the performance. Concert dress will be the Fine Arts t-shirt they will create during the morning rehearsal.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

We would love to have light refreshments as part of this immersive experience (a la a gallery opening). We are also looking for assistance with setting up and tearing down. If you are willing and able please indicate your capacity to do so by completing this Volunteer Form.

ARRIVAL & PARKING

We expect this event to be well attended. Please consider additional time for parking in your travel plans.

Art galleries will be open for all to enjoy beginning at 5:30 pm.

High school music students will be in the lobby of the main entrance directing musicians to their respective locations upon arrival. Families can help facilitate the flow of traffic by reporting to the large gym and finding a seat to enjoy the concert.

We hope this information proves to be helpful as we make our final preparations for Thursday, April 3rd. Please feel free to contact your fine arts educator with any additional questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you soon!

All our best,

MVSU Fine Arts Educators

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Yoh Theatre is proud to present As You Like It

Yoh Theatre is proud to present As You Like It, adaptation and music by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery

Friday, March 7, 7pm

Saturday, March 8, 7pm

Vlog on the making of As You Like It:

Show description: "As You Like It is an immersive dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families and lovers in disguise.

Forced from their homes, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia escape to the Forest of Arden, a fantastical place of transformation, where all are welcomed and embraced. Lost amidst the trees, the refugees find community and acceptance under the stars.

Featuring an original folk-pop score by Shaina Taub, with a flexible-sized cast and 90-minute running time, As You Like It is appropriate for all audiences and groups. Fall under love’s spell with this magical story!" Concord Theatricals

Tickets: https://theaterengine.com/productions/2851 or at the door!

We hope you can come!