Tommie Barfield Student Shares Heartwarming Hurricane Ian Poem

Roselyn Burke, a third grader at Tommie Barfield Elementary School, shared her original poem “Hurricane Ian,” with Mrs. Parker’s third grade class for a coffee house-type workshop. For the workshop, students could either recite a poem of their choice or write and share their own original poem. Roselyn Burke’s poem warmed the hearts of the TBE staff and students who attended the coffee house workshop.

Third grade teacher, Mrs. Georgina Dolan, shares that as part of the third-grade curriculum, their reading module “explored different ways people can express themselves using writing.” Students learned to write limericks, haikus, free verse, and rhyme verse poetry. This gave students the ability to share their own perspectives and stories with their peers and the TBE staff. Multiple students shared poems that they had written about Hurricane Ian. 

Roselyn Burke, and other third grade students who wrote Hurricane Ian poems used their poetry as a way to process and express their emotions through a difficult situation. Their resilience throughout Hurricane Ian and the aftermath serves as a beacon of light and provides hope for our community. Third grade team leader, Mrs. Stephanie Parker, shares that “It was amazing hearing what they created.”