The High Life: The students’ take on life at Spalding High School
This year marks the success of another Spalding High School student within the Poetry by Heart competition.
Year 12 student Emma Howell won her gruelling county heat which sends her into the national finals weekend on Saturday, March 15.
The competition consists of three rounds, where students must perform poems from a range of eras; pre-1914, post-1914 and additionally, a World War One poem, to mark the 100-year anniversary.
Candidates are judged according to the accuracy, expression, understanding and overall delivery of their chosen poem.
These scores are then accumulated to produce an overall school which constitutes for the winner who then proceeds to the next round.
Emma performed three diverse poems; Slavery by Hannah Moore which explores the unjust discrimination of ethnicity during the slave trade, God by James Fenton, a contemporary poem expressing infallible dramatic irony and intellectual wit and Convalescence, the poignant war poem which outlines a soldier’s struggles in his voyage to normality.
The county finals were held at Louth Town Hall on February 7 and included a fully functioning bar for the nervous parents anticipating their child’s performance and the soothing tones of a live band which eased the anxious apprehension that protruded over the judges’ somewhat extensive deliberation.
Despite palpable tension in the room, all contestants were fully supportive of each other. Upon announcement of Emma’s success, a warm congratulatory applause emanated through the humble town hall as a miscellany of poetry books were presented to the winner.
Emma is now preparing for her performance at the National Portrait Gallery, where she will experience a multitude of unique enrichment programmes such as a poetry cabaret with Sir Andrew Motion.
Special thanks to Mrs Tanwen Fisk and Mrs Amanda Rossi for their unwavering support throughout the experience.
A tasty fundraiser
The school is a great advocate of charity committees, and one such organisation is the Fairtrade scheme which epitomises the charitable work done by both students and teachers.
While a Fairtrade stall is run on a weekly basis by volunteers within the school, there is also a cafe which offers a host of Fairtrade products from coffee to chocolate.
Students in the sixth form and teachers are invited to the school library at break time tomorrow (Friday) to delve into the delectable dishes and raise money for this worthy cause at the same time.