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
All photos by Laura DeSantis-Olsson Photography.