Winners of Children & Teens Poetry Competition Announced by Friends of Bronxville Library; Over 90 Students Compete

By Angela DeMarchi, Member, Board of Directors, Friends of the Bronxville Public Library
May 6, 2015: On April 26, the Friends of the Bronxville Public Library (FOBPL) held its annual Children & Teens Poetry Competition in the Yeager Room of the Bronxville Public Library. Over 90 students submitted poems to the competition, and 12 read their works to an audience of board members, parents, teachers, peers, and poetry lovers!
Students of all ages from kindergarten through 10th grade entered in one of four categories--elementary K-2, elementary 3-5, middle school, and high school--by writing their own original poems based on this year's theme, My Favorite Hobby.
Winners of first, second, and third prizes were selected from each of the four categories. The subject matter ranged from reflections on time spent in the great outdoors to memorable sporting events. Many types of writing styles were displayed, from alternative line rhyme to haiku.
"Poetry is a great way for children and teens to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. We were thrilled to have so many quality entries this year. It was also wonderful to experience topics that matter in the contestants' lives, such as travel, music, sports, and family," said Louis Parks, president of the FOBPL.
The winners of the 7th Annual FOBPL Children & Teens Poetry Competition are:
Elementary K-2
1st Place: Tanya Verma, Bronxville School; "Dark Sky Light"
2nd Place: Megha Verma, Bronxville School; "Playing"
3rd Place: Alexander Dallendorfer, Bronxville School; "Shipwreck"
Elementary 3-5
1st Place: Julia Perry, Bronxville School; "Fall"
2nd Place: Julie Widen, Bronxville School; "Family"
3rd Place: Tony Tao-Guerrero, Bronxville School; "Gymnast"
Middle School
1st Place: Claire Chao, Chapel School; "Dreaming"
2nd Place: Katie Gebbia, Chapel School; "Forgetting Something"
3rd Place: Ingrid Krawiec, Chapel School; "Rolling Through the Seasons"
3rd Place: Connor Tinson, Chapel School; "The Winning Goal"
High School
1st Place: Olivia Cappello, Bronxville School; "Written as an Ode to 'Invictus' by William Ernest Henley"
2nd Place: Sasha Ircha, Bronxville School; "Vieux Quebec"
3rd Place: Michael Landy, Bronxville School; "Love of the Game"
The FOBPL Annual Children & Teens Poetry Competition will be held again next year, and students from all grades in The Bronxville School, The Chapel School, and St. Joseph School are encouraged to enter.
Pictured here: Winners of the 2015 FOBPL Annual Children & Teens Poetry Competition.
Photo by Jane Elizabeth Ircha











