Skelly second through fifth grade students recited poems in the Poetry Café on Mar. 5, 2025.
This annual event is held at Skelly Elementary each spring and allows students to build confidence, practice public speaking, and explore the beauty of language. A classroom is transformed into a cozy, café-style setting with dimmed lights, soft music, and centerpieces of electric candles and framed photos of famous poets.
The event is paired with classroom activities that allow students to prepare and refine their work before the big day. Parents are invited to watch their children recite original poems, classic verses, or other spoken word pieces.
Three staff members use a rubric to rate the performances based upon language arts and public speaking skills such as eye contact, reading fluency, and using an appropriate speaking volume.
“The Skelly Poetry Café is more than an event,” Instructional Coach Cathie Rollings said. “It’s a space where self-expression takes center stage.”
Once the scores are tabulated, the top two from each classroom will be invited to an ice cream sundae party and will receive commemorative medallions created on a 3D printer by Amber and Colten McCarthy.