Case study
Belvedere Elementary, two weeks, 297 students.
Two weeks with every grade at an Edmonton K–6 school: identity, school community, revision, and a Poetry Café to finish.
April 1–14, 2025 · Edmonton, Alberta
School residency read-in week
By the numbers
| Students engaged | 297 (Grades K–6) |
| Teaching sessions | 70 |
| Program hours | 47.3 total (classroom instruction, assembly, preparation, Poetry Café sharing) |
| Grade levels served | 10 (K, 1, 1–2, 2, 2–3, 3, 4, 5, 6, K–6 assembly) |
| Programming tiers | Division 1, Division 2, and Connections Class |
How the two weeks moved
- Self, family, cultural background, and school community writing.
- Grade-aware poetic tools: figurative language, structure, and revision.
- Performance confidence, rehearsal, and student voice development.
- School-wide poetry assembly and Poetry Café sharing.
What made it work
School-wide participation
Every grade took part, from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Family involvement
The Poetry Café brought students, families, and staff into the same room.
Curriculum integration & assessment
I mapped Alberta ELA outcomes by grade band, and I can send you the outcome codes. We tracked progress with 5-point rubrics for voice, revision, specificity and oral sharing, plus student reflections and teacher observation.
Plan one for your school.
See my other residencies, or tell me what your school needs.