The Whitehurst Grade 1 Poetry Recital is an anticipated class event that challenges students to take the stage in front of parents and peers and recite – by memory and in clever costumes – poems they have selected to present. The show is always a highlight of the year and serves as an important public speaking rite of passage.

In years past, the event has been staged outdoors on the Whitehurst Campus bluff or in first grade classrooms. 2020-21 Pandemic protocols, however, flipped the script. While students prepared for their poetry presentation as usual under the direction of teachers Jill Bobbitt and Karen Stephens, this year’s presentation took on a different venue. Students spent weeks learning important public speaking skills in their classrooms, rehearsing with teachers and planning appropriate props, pronunciation and presentation styles. Whitehurst drama teacher Daniel Austin then gathered costumed first graders in his classroom and videoed their poetry reading one-at-a-time in front of a green screen – demonstrating how stage performance can be transformed through the camera lens. Using images of artwork students made relevant to their poems, Austin edited the presentations together to create a video for all to enjoy.

Watch the 2021 Bolles Whitehurst Grade 1 Poetry Recital here.

Bravo, students!