Poetry Friday: Thank You to Our High Schools!

Posted on by Michele Russo, Poetry Coordinator

photo by Laura DeSantis-Olsson Photography

As the spring draws to a close, we want to thank the teachers and faculty who are instrumental in making our High School programs a success. These teachers do a great deal of legwork so that their students have the opportunity to connect with poets and poetry.  This extra responsibility includes fundraising, scheduling, providing hospitality, securing audiovisual equipment, inviting local media, and much more.  We are so grateful for their efforts and for their enduring commitment to poetry.

We also want to thank the Dodge Poets who are the cornerstone of our High School programs.  Their talent, energy, openness and intelligence inspire students to read and listen more deeply, and to discover their own connection to poetry.

This spring, our poets met with almost 4,000 students.  The photos in this blog share a few moments we captured.  We could not have done it without the following individuals:

Central Regional High School, Bayville

Kim Lytle, English Teacher

Dr. Mueller, English Department Chair

Dodge Poet:  Robert Carnevale

Cinnaminson High School, Cinnaminson

Amy O’Hearn, English Teacher

Dodge Poets: Cynthia Arrieu-King, Crystal Bacon & John McDermott

Communications High School, Belmar NJ

Jaime Vander Velde, English Teacher

Dodge Poet: BJ Ward

Cumberland Regional High School, Bridgeton

Bob Evans, English Teacher

Dodge Poets: Stephanie Cawley, Maria Gillan, Mark Hilringhouse, Charles Johnson; Special Guest: Kevin Carey

East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick

Megan Manetta, English Department Chair

Laura Strachan, English Teacher

Dodge Poets: Grisel Acosta, Stephanie Cawley, Cat Doty, Charles Johnson, John McDermott, Christine Salvatore, Vincent Toro, Joe Weil

Egg Harbor Township High School

Lily Moss, English Teacher

Christine Salvatore, English Teacher

Dodge Poets: Cat Doty, Lois Harrod, Peter Murphy, JC Todd

Hoboken Charter School, Hoboken

Mira Septimus, Art Teacher

Ona Gritz, Librarian: Hoboken Public Library

Dodge Poet: Madeline Tiger

North Star Academy, College Preparatory High School, Newark

Steven Chiger, Howitt Fellow for School Leadership

Michael Mann, Head of School

Dodge Poets: Michael Cirelli, Maria Gillan, Charles Johnson, Khalil Murrell, Bridget Talone

Seneca High School, Tabernacle

John Bowden, English Department Supervisor

Beth Strittmatter, English Teacher

Dodge Poets:  Charles Johnson, Vasiliki Katsarou, Gretna Wilkinson; Featured Poet: Taylor Mali

Southern Regional High School, Manahawkin

Darlene Parks, Teacher/Supervisor of English, Art, Business, Family & Consumer Sciences

Jean Piscopo, English Teacher

Dodge Poet:  Crystal Bacon

Spotswood High School, Spotswood

Maureen McVeigh-Berzok, Supervisor of World Languages

Dodge Poet: John McDermott

St. Benedict’s High School, Newark

David Wolf, English Department Chair

Art Teacher, Pamela Wye-Hunsinger

Dodge Poets: Kyle Dargan, Monica Hand

Trenton High School West

Bill O’Neal, English Teacher

Dodge Poet: Michael Cirelli

Voorhees High School, Glen Gardner

Terry Leyland, English Teacher

Richard Broan, English Supervisor

Dodge Poets: Michael Cirelli, Maria Gillan, Charles Johnson, BJ Ward, Gretna Wilkinson

Students at East Brunswick High School

Dodge Poet Cat Doty

Students at East Brunswick High School

Dodge Poet Christine Salvatore

A student at East Brunswick High School

Dodge Poet Vincent Toro

Students at East Brunswick High School

Dodge Poet Charles Johnson

Students at East Brunswick High School

All photos by Laura DeSantis-Olsson Photography.

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