Colleen Smith, age 6, of Mrs. Suzanne Thesen and Mrs. Karen Scammell's Grade 1 class of Arborfield, Sask. was the grand prize winner of the Dr. Seuss Poetry Contest. Students from Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Arborfield entered the national poetry contest outlined in the May edition of The Reader's Showcase magazine, published by Suggitt Publishing Ltd., Edmonton.
To commemorate Dr. Seuss’ 75th Anniversary of published children's literature [in 1997], and to encourage creativity and child literacy, the contest invited students to compose a poem and draw a picture to accompany their poem, both in the likeness of Dr. Seuss's poetry and pictures, and submit their work to be judged.
Colleen, who has inherited her skill with words from her Grandpa Childs (Jim) and her Great Grandmother Childs (Joann), and her artistic talent from her Dad (Brian Smith), loves to talk, sing. rhyme, read, draw and colour.
Suzanne Thesen, when calling Colleen to tell her the good news, said that the Grade 1 class had devoted an entire unit to the study of Dr. Seuss poetry and drawings. They all had great fun composing their entries and entering the contest, never once expecting that any of them would win the prize.
Colleen, pictured above with her brother Jesse, displays part of the grand prize which is comprised of the entire Dr. Seuss library. The library consists of reading and rhyming books, elementary education workbooks, colouring, painting and activity books, and with summer holidays in full swing and boredom sometimes running high, they were accepted with delight.
