Two Smithtown High School East Seniors reached the third round to the finals at the Poetry Out Loud Competition. Colleen Haggerty and Kessandra Chisholm were two of the six students from schools throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties to advanced to the third round.
The Poetry Out Loud regional competition took place on February 25th at Stony Brook University’s Wang Center. During the regional competition, 18 students throughout Long Island recited poems through two rounds. Only six students were chosen to advance to the third and final round. Haggerty and Chisholm each performed three poem recitations but ultimately did not advance to the state competition.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about literacy history.