Comstock Park — The task was simple, according to rising sixth-grader Eli. Read through a magazine article and, as you go, black out words to create a poem.
“That’s why it’s called a blackout poem,” he said.
Eli was one of several students participating in Express Yourself, a summer group for Mill Creek Middle School students. The program was open to students entering sixth through ninth grades.
The group met for an hour each week for six weeks, participating in activities designed to help students express themselves through writing, art and music. Along with creating blackout poetry, students painted, journaled and tie-dyed.
“It provides something for students to do while also getting to know other students at the school,” said Gina Boscarino, a counselor and group specialist for Wedgwood Christian Services based at Mill Creek Middle School. Boscarino organized and ran the summer program.
While creating the poetry, the students, at the Comstock Park Branch of Kent District Library, talked about summer and the upcoming school year.
As Eli explained, once students created their poems, they cut them out and pasted them into their journals. From there, they added pictures around the poems.
“I really liked it because it gave me the opportunity to be creative,” said rising sixth-grader Ella. “It was something to do during the summer and a chance to be with friends.”
Read more from Comstock Park:
• Tracking kindness, one pom-pom at a time
• Earning, learning & giving: Inside Mill Creek’s new school store
