ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

G'day Stephen,

There are some teachers who are passionate enough about Australian poetry who weave it into other areas of teaching. For example drama or Civic studies. I have been involved with the Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival Poetry Comp for a few years and a teacher from Nowra High had her class participate last year. We even had a couple of them come along to the presentation and read out their poems. They were justifiably proud or their certificates.
We are thinking of adding a special 'local schools' section this year.
I will admit I sent out the details to about 15 local schools, both primary and secondary and we only received entries from two schools. Nowra High as mentioned and the other was more from parental encouragement (parents received a day pass to the festival so that the children could come along with out cost) than school involvement. They were cluey parents... two children equaled a free day pass each for Mum and Dad.

Yes, we have a similar experience with Toolangi. It's very hard to drum up entries to the junior sections - especially from the secondary schools. From memory, last year we didn't do too badly - some entries from a school (perhaps more than one?) that none of us had any contact with. There was obviously a keen teacher there who decided to accept the challenge.

If it helps: I was told by a teacher years ago when discussing trying to get the local schools to participate in a poetry event that usually the schools need at least six months notice because their program for the year are set well in advance and it is difficult to alter them. Perhaps this could be why there appears to be some difficulty in engaging schools.

The curriculum is already happening (poetry in schools) ...

For your interest, Here is the Unit planner for one school that I'm involved with ...
It is a lot of fun with the kids, we have two sessions with year 4 students, the first is with around 80 kids and the second is with 50 ...

Year four shit Manny even I can't follow that ?


Bob

Hmmppphhh........Ummmm, I can even follow that Bob. It says...............ahhh....... Attachments.

Pssst, he's from Queensland....

At least in lesson nine they get to learn to play the spoons !!!!


Bob

Week 9 is limericks Bob

Yeah - Spoon playing and slippery slides is week 8 - you little beauty