Liam McNally
Students of Arnold’s Creek Primary School have collaborated with author Emma Bowd to publish their very own poetry anthology.
The book, Amazing Animal Poems, contains almost 100 poems and digital illustrations authored by more than 130 grade five and six students and was launched at an event at the school on December 15.
Ms Bowd came to Arnolds Creek Primary through Ardoch’s Writer In Residence program, and spent a week teaching students about poetry, before helping to edit and compile their works into a book, which will be available to rent at the Melton Library.
Ms Bowd said she “enjoyed every minute” of the program, and hopes the children learned skills they “can take with them”.
Ms Dowd said she heard that one of the students spoke in front of their class for the first time ever because they wanted to share their poem.
“I like engaging with the kids who are the reluctant readers and the reluctant writers because they’re the most challenging and most rewarding,” she said.
Jenna (11) said she worked on a poem for the book with her friend Rebecca about two otters.
“I think it was quite amazing because we got to learn about poetry and about how we use it effectively,” she said.
“It was really weird, because I’ve never seen my writing in a full-on printed book.”
Classroom teacher Alexander Stokes said he admired the engagement of the lessons, including the way Ms Bowd got the students to understand rhyming schemes in their poems by reading them over rap beats.
“I was really proud to see how much effort the students put in,” he said.
