Residency
Belvedere Elementary.
A documented K-6 poetry residency in Edmonton focused on identity, school community, revision, performance, and public sharing.
April 1-14, 2025
Scale and documented impact.
297 students
Grades K-6 across differentiated Division 1, Division 2, and Connections Class programming.
70 teaching sessions
Repeated classroom sessions supporting writing, discussion, revision, and rehearsal.
47.3 program hours
Total program time across classroom instruction, assembly, preparation, and Poetry Cafe sharing.
1,168.8 student-hours
Documented instructional reach across the full residency schedule.
Differentiation
One residency, tuned to every classroom.
Division 2 (Grades 4-6)
133 students in 45-minute sessions, nine per class: figurative language, poetic structure, original writing, and performance preparation.
Division 1 (K-3)
164 students in shorter, movement-friendly sessions built around rhyme, rhythm, personal connection, and creative expression.
Connections class
Eighteen students with complex learning needs reached through lyric poetry and hip-hop rhythm, with music integration as the engagement pathway.
Public Finish
Two showcase events.
Literacy Assembly
A school-wide assembly for all 297 students featuring student poetry alongside “Belvedere,” a poem Ahmed wrote for the school.
Evening Poetry Cafe
An evening event with an estimated 300-400 students and family members, where students performed original work to their own community.
Residency Arc
Identity work with a public finish.
1 Self, family, cultural background, and school community writing.
2 Grade-aware poetic tools, figurative language, structure, and revision.
3 Performance confidence, rehearsal, and student voice development.
4 School-wide poetry assembly and Poetry Cafe sharing.
