On Friday, January 24th 2025, the IGDVS community held their annual Poetry Out Loud event in Wonderful Words Hall northeast of the campus. As a part of the national arts education program, this national competition encourages the study of poetry by holding dynamic recitation competitions for high school students across the country.

Seated behind the competitors, the students listened attentively as the class representatives presented their poems. Each of their poems vary by genres and lengths, and each featured a unique theme. The students had chosen their poems several weeks before the competition according to their individual interest, and had been practicing with great enthusiasm: For days before the competition, students around the campus were busy reciting their poems, determined to convey the beauty and magnificence of the poems they loved to others.

In the final competition, the students displayed the results of their hard work through strong, spirited voices. It’s amazing to see how these few lines of words can really impact the participants and audiences. Finally, let’s congratulate Ethan To, Joseph, Selene Luong, Katrina Hu and Ella Ng for making it to the top five, with Ethan and Joseph moving on to represent the school at the Mendocino County Poetry Out Loud competition.

Special thanks to Ms. Yidan, Ms. Phi the competition judges, and Ms. Edwina for being our score tracker. We are grateful for their time and contribution. The event had made a memorable and enriching experience for all the students as well as all of the students who participated in the competition!