Fair Poet Contest
The Fair Poet Center of Excellence was created in the fall of 2016. FHEVS English teachers have built into their classroom curriculum a year-round program for students in grades 6-12 to read, write and learn to love poetry. This program was created under the leadership of Fairport Harding English Teachers, Sandra Knight and Susan Tenon and sponsorship of Hank Werronen, Class of 1961. The first fall poetry contest attracted 180 poems on the theme of nature from students in grades 6-12 at Harding High School. An independent community panel selected a group of finalists for junior high and senior high. Students then voted for their favorite poems without any identification of the poets. The finalists read their poems at a school-wide assembly for their peers.
Based on the tremendous response of the students and faculty, the teachers at Fairport Harding High School continued to encourage the writing and reading of poetry in their classrooms and launched the 2017 Fair Poet Spring Contest on the theme of strength. This time we attracted 200 poems, with a set of very high-quality finalists presented in an assembly in May 2017. During the 2017-2018 school year, we held two more contests. In the Fall of 2017, the theme was technology. In the Spring of 2018, the English department held another contest at Harding. The theme was patience. In the Spring of 2019, the theme was time. You can read all of the poems in the PDF downloads below. We hope you enjoy the videos, many of which were created in partnership with Auburn Career Center Instructional Media and Technology students.
In the Spring of 2019-2020 school year, the Covid-19 World Pandemic struck, and in March all school buildings were closed and students did school work from home. Thanks to Sandra Knight the Fair Poet Contest was held through technology. The theme was empathy.
In the 2020-2021 school year, we were recovering from the Covid-19 World Pandemic, and the Fall Fairpoet contest was canceled. However, in the Spring the Fair Poet Contest was revived and the theme was Be The Light.
For the 2021-2022 school year, we held the Fair Poet Spring Contest in May. The theme of this year's contest, sponsored by Fairport Alumni Hank Werronen is Space and Exploration.
For 2022-2023 school year we held the Fair Poet Spring Contest in March. The theme of this year's contest, sponsored by Fairport Alumni Hank Werronen is Then, Now Or Future.
For 2023-2024 school year we held the Fairpoet Spring Contest in March. The theme of this year's contest, sponsored by Fairport Alumni Hank Werronen is Under Construction.