TA Hosts 14th Annual Poetry Out Loud Competition
February 15, 2023
On Monday, Thetford Academy hosted its 14th annual Poetry Out Loud recitation contest, featuring nine talented student contestants.
Congratulations to Connor Gaine ’25, Ava Hayden ’25, Starlee Riley LaClair ’26, Zach Nalette ’25, Bianca Pulaski ’25, Kaya Freeman ’25, Elijah Renner ’26, Mary Bosco ’24. and Grace Solsaa ’24 for their outstanding performances. Each recitation, memorized from poems the students had selected themselves, featured a different topic, author, and style – and each student brought their own personality to their performance.
The judges, poet Ina Anderson, alumna Kay Morton, and former board member and alumni parent Jim Schley, scored the performances on physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, and overall performance. Librarian Kate Owen joined the team as accuracy judge.
Mary Bosco’s recitation of Fairy Tale with Laryngitis and Resignation Letter by Jehanne Dubrow earned her a win for the second year in a row – and secured her a spot at the Vermont State Competition in March at the Flynn Theater in Burlington. Grace Solsaa was the runner up with her compelling performance of the world is about to end and my grandparents are in love, by Kara Jackson.
Thank you to all that helped support Thetford Academy’s Poetry Out Loud event, including this year’s host Michael Mann, our “calibration poem” reciter Ulysses Junker, all of our talented participants, esteemed judges, organizers Joe Deffner and Emily Silver, lighting technician Shisi Dai ’23, and photographer Zoe Thomas ’23.