City of Literature South D Poet Lorikeet visits Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School

Posted: Thursday May 23, 2024

The City of Literature South D Poet Lorikeet, Jenny Powell, recently visited Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School’s Class Kererū (Years 7 and 8) and their teacher Trisha Geraets to conduct two engaging poetry sessions with well-loved, slightly threadbare ‘Teddy’ as inspiration.

During the workshops, Jenny motivated the children with her clear and effective approach. The children tapped into their imaginations, with ideas ranging from a bear that can beam teddy knowledge, to humorous concepts for a sitcom series.

These engaging sessions built upon the popular Teddy Poetry Workshops held in 2021 and 2022 across 14 new-entrant classes from six Ōtepoti primary schools, which resulted in a delightful anthology of poems by the children published by Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature. The Class Kererū students are now working on artworks to complement their poems and the City of Literature is eager to publish this magical collection for the children to take home and share with their whānau.

Jenny is a teacher as well as an award-winning poet, and the workshops consolidate children’s reading experiences and are testament to the power of creative expression and the joy it brings. The enthusiasm sparked by Jenny's visit will undoubtedly inspire Class Kererū students to continue exploring the magic of words. As one student said, ‘I want to become a poet like Jenny when I grow up.’  

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