MMI Preparatory School junior Andrew Decker, the son of Aaron Decker, Kingston, and Elizabeth and Troy Topolski, Sugarloaf, finished third in the regional Poetry Out Loud competition at the WVIA-TV studios in Pittston. Decker represented MMI for the third consecutive year and was competing against students from parts of six counties.
During the regional competition, students recited three poems each to determine the overall winner. Decker competed against students from throughout Luzerne, Lackawanna, northwestern Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and eastern Wyoming counties. The regional competition, which was held under the direction of Arts in Education in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit 19, will be televised in April on WVIA-TV as part of the station’s National Poetry Month celebration.
Decker won last year’s regional competition and placed among the top five in Pennsylvania during the state competition this past March. Jennifer Novotney, MMI English instructor and Poetry Out Loud adviser, said, “It was an impressive accomplishment for Andrew to advance to the regional competition for the third straight year. I’m very proud of his performance and how he represented MMI during the competition.”
Poetry Out Loud is designed to help students master public speaking skills, build confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life by memorizing and reciting classic poems. More information can be found at www.poetryoutloud.org.
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