I very much enjoyed wandering about at Monday night’s ‘Poetry Party’ in the Prep this week, which was an evening filled with inspiring if not somewhat spookily themed words, and heartfelt performances at the end of the event in the James Hall. Special thanks to Miss Allott for organising the event, as well as to the teachers who helped to support our young poets. It was an event that reminded us of the power of words to connect, entertain and inspire.
At Hampton Prep, we believe that encouraging creative endeavours such as writing poetry is essential for the development of a child’s imagination. Through the process of crafting their own poems and indeed writing really wonderful stories and other extended pieces of narrative text, the pupils here not only learn how to express themselves, but to think deeply, and explore ideas in ways that go beyond the confines of everyday experience.
Observing the world around them and being inspired by that to put pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard!) sharpens our pupils’ ability to interpret emotions and communicate complex feelings in a meaningful way. This is not just an artistic exercise but a crucial aspect of cognitive and emotional growth, and I believe it has an impact on everything else they do here, across the entire curriculum. Making the most of one’s imagination and being an excellent critical thinker go hand in hand, in my view. There shall be plenty more of this to come as this academic year progresses.
