Hooray!  Today is National Poetry Day and lucky for us here at Southill we just LOVE poetry.  There is a real buzz in the air as we celebrate, relish and recite some of our favourite poems and even have a go at writing some of our own.  Take a look at our class blogs to find out exactly what we have all been up to today, we’ve enjoyed many different activities – some of us have even spent time practising this week in order to recite poetry to our class.  Here are a few highlights:

 

Year 3 had fun exploring the rhythm needed to recite High Level Gorilla by David Whitehead:

 

Here’s of our favourite Michael Rosen poems entitled Tooth Brush taken from his Big Book of Bad Things:

 

We shared a poem taken from the National Poetry Day website written by Sophie Kirtley, entitled Mary Anning Roars to the Sea.  Check out the video of Year 6 reciting it together as a class:  

 

Wild waves crash, raw winds roar:

I hear the voice of the lost dinosaur.

I roar back.  I am bold.

I roar because in my hand I hold

my hammer

to break

these rocks

apart

and unlock the secrets

at their old, cold heart.

 

‘I found your bones!’

I shout, all alone,

to the plesiosaur

who paddled and dived

who lived, then died,

right here, before,

so long before

 

me,

 

in my wind-flapped gown

with my salt-wet hair

staring down at the ground,

then up

up at the fast grey sky,

where seven white gulls

circle and cry, and circle, and I

squeeze my eyes half shut

and I half-spy

 

a pterosaur

on the wing.

‘I found your bones!’

I roar to the thing

who isn’t really there

anymore, then I roar

as I sing a half-made song,

with words half-right

and words half-wrong

with wild words lost

in the wind-spun air

and why do I sing?

 

Because I dare.

 

I dare to dig,

and I dare

to find

the bones and the shadows

left behind.

I dare to turn stone after stone

after stone,

I wear hard boots

and, I walk all alone,

here, right here,

with my hammer in my hand,

I dare to walk the land-slipped

shifty sand,

and I dare to learn

and to understand.

 

I dare to sing and I dare to roar

like the dinosaurs

who dared here

long long

before.

 

So many of us could relate to this poem having learnt all about Mary Anning with an interest in her discoveries and who she was.  The words of this poem really made us think, emphasised by the way that Sophie has laid out each line.  We found it moving and were pleased to share our thoughts within class.

 

Whilst we might not be able to physically meet as a whole school at the moment, this hasn’t stopped us being able to share themes like these, especially today.  Rather excitingly KS2 got to test out our first virtual Zoom assembly with Mr Mason which provided a perfect opportunity to share some of our favourite poems with him, Year 5 recited Words Are Ours by Michael Rosen – all KS2 classes were able to enjoy their performance!

 

Let’s also revisit Mrs Wood’s reading of Washing Up recorded for us back in April this year.  This poem reminds her of time spent with her brother when they were younger, which makes her (and us) giggle:

 

 

We’ve had a great time celebrating National Poetry Day today, we hope that you’ve enjoyed some of our highlights and that the children can continue to share, create and inspire poetry of their own at home too.  We always love to know about any creations or fun times had at home.  If you have anything that you’d like to share with us, feel free to send it over to media@southill.dorset.sch.uk, you may just find yourself on our website and media channels!

 

Happy National Poetry Day everybody!  Let’s do it again soon …