Connolly School is proud to announce the achievement of fifth grader Mackenzie Alessandro, who earned third place for her age group in the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association’s 39th Annual Student Poetry Contest. This year’s contest invited students in third- through twelfth-grade students to submit original poems inspired by Walt Whitman’s work, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer.”
Alessandro’s poem, titled “Beyond the Stars,” stood out among entries from across the nation. She will be recognized at the Walt Whitman Birthplace Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 31.
“We’re very proud of Mackenzie and the creativity she showed through her writing,” said Connolly School principal Bryce Klatsky. “It’s always exciting to see our students recognized for their talents outside the classroom.”
The annual contest, hosted by the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, honors the legacy of one of America’s most celebrated poets and encourages students to explore poetry as a means of self-expression.
