Dear Colleagues,

As an elementary school teacher, there have been many times when I have read a student poem and thought, “That's much better than anything I could write!” Poetry is magical that way. Poetry can reach beyond any limits that are imposed on our lives - the limits of age or race, of economics or culture. A kindergartener can write a poem that will move us to laughter. A fourth or fifth grade writer can bring us to tears.

We work in a diverse school district, and life isn't always fair for many of our students. Test scores don't always reflect their true achievements during the school year. Poetry, however, can level the playing field. Poetry offers us a unique way to celebrate our students as writers, while also celebrating our own work for the city of Denver.

I invite you to participate in a districtwide elementary-level poetry anthology that will be assembled over the course of this school year. This anthology will celebrate the poetry of Denver students, Kindergarten through fifth grade. Our plan is that this anthology will feature one to four poems from each elementary school in DPS, as well as a selection of student illustrations.

Through the year, classroom teachers should earmark possible submissions for the anthology. In the Spring, school faculties should decide (by a method of their own choosing) which poems to submit for the publication. The book will be assembled over the summer with the help of high-school student editors and published at the start of the next school year.

This project is a natural extension of the literacy work already being done in our elementary schools. It is also a natural choice for a districtwide writing artifact - fiction or nonfiction writing would be too lengthy, and the different styles and age groups would not fit well together. Poetry, however, can be created and also appreciated by all ages. In poetry, stylistic differences are an advantage. Poetry is approachable. Poetry is universal.

I hope that you will support your school's involvement in this publication. I believe the result will be something children will love, and parents and teachers will treasure.

Please contact me if you have any questions at steve_replogle@dpsk12.org or at 720-424-9347. Debbie Milner, our Central Literacy Coordinator, has volunteered to act as my “administrative sponsor.” She can be reached at debbie_milner@dpsk12.org or at 720-423-3616 and she can also discuss this project with you.


Sincerely,
Steve Replogle