Mission students recognized in national poetry contest
National Baseball Poetry Festival | Lake County Leader | UPDATED 54 minutes AGO
The St. Ignatius sixth-grade winners from Marissa Mock’s class pose for a photo. (Courtesy of Marissa Mock)
Eight St. Ignatius sixth graders in Marissa Mock’s class were recognized for their poems submitted to the National Baseball Poetry Festival contest, thanks to a classroom project that connected their love for the sport with poetry.
Winners from Mock’s class are Ali Alvarez, Jordyn Franks, Monte Matt, Neh'Miah Antoine-Burke, Atticus Holets, Brooklyn Krahn, Aria Lyday and Cali Yellow Owl.
According to a press release from the National Baseball Poetry Festival, early this spring, all 30 students in Mock’s class submitted poems to the contest. The eight winners were announced on Friday, April 24, in what was lauded as “impressive achievement for a Montana classroom competing on a national stage.”
The release explained that this assignment quickly became personal for the students. Many who are involved in softball or baseball found this an opportunity to write about a sport they love, sparking “enthusiasm and pride.”
Mock, who teaches sixth-grade math and English Language Arts, launched the project this year as part of her curriculum. According to the press release, students at first showed some hesitation, but after completing a poetry unit last year, the competitive element and sports connection brought the assignment to life.
The National Baseball Poetry Festival takes place May 7-10, at Polar Park in Worcester, Mass., home of the Worcester Red Sox. The multi-day event will bring together poets, students, teachers and baseball fans for readings, workshops, performances and the connection between sports and storytelling.
The festival also hosts adult and student-based poetry contests that draw submissions from across the United States and around the world, according to the press release.