11 Students Compete in 16th Annual ICS Poetry Out Loud Competition
On Wednesday, December 11, ICS 7th through 12th grade students gathered in the Jack and Nancy Becker Center to witness Indian Creek’s 16th Annual Poetry Out Loud Recitation! Eleven Upper School students took to the stage, reciting works from traditional and contemporary poets, including Emily Dickinson, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, William Earnest Henley, among others. During intermission, members of the Spanish Honor Society took the stage to perform recitations of Spanish poetry. After the two rounds concluded, juniors Madison Harris and Izzy Sussman were announced as the winners of the competition, with senior Kat Rini as runner-up. These students will represent ICS the Regional competition in Centreville, Maryland, later this month.
Poetry Out Loud is a literary arts program created by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation. Through this program, students across Maryland are encouraged to engage with poetry on a deeper level by selecting, memorizing, and performing works by renowned poets.
Mini-contests were held in Upper School Literature classes over the past few weeks, and representatives from each class competed in the school competition, where performances were scored in the categories of Physical Presence, Voice and Articulation, Dramatic Appropriateness, Evidence of Understanding, Overall Performance, and Accuracy. During today’s competition, students recited poems in front of a panel of three judges: Dr. Megan Wilson, Head of School Booth Kyle, and Middle School Principal Matt McCormick. Upper School English Teacher Dr. Michael Pawluk, judged for accuracy
Mini-contests were held in Upper School Literature classes over the past few weeks, and representatives from each class competed in the school competition, where performances were scored in the categories of Physical Presence, Voice and Articulation, Dramatic Appropriateness, Evidence of Understanding, Overall Performance, and Accuracy. During today’s competition, students recited poems in front of a panel of three judges: Dr. Megan Wilson, Head of School Booth Kyle, and Middle School Principal Matt McCormick. Upper School English Teacher Dr. Michael Pawluk, judged for accuracy
Thank you to Poetry Out Loud Advisor Leeann Passaro for carrying on this favorite Creek tradition, and congratulations to the 11 class champions who competed in the school-wide recitation this year: Connor Tyrewala ’28, Izzy Sussman ’26, Kat Rini ’25, Sophia O’Connell ’25, Reagan Machemer ’26, Aya Johnson ’28, Kyle Harvin ’26, Madison Harris ’26, Chloe Cato ’27, Takira Brown ’28, and Doanya Assadi ’28.
Indian Creek School
Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland. Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.
