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Local
16th Annual High School Poetry Jam Held
Grace Community Medical Center Grand Opening
Grace Community Medical Center, one of the properties under the auspicies of St. John Cathedral, held its Grand Opening on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. The opening prayer for the event was given by Dr. Grace Glen, Director. County Commissioner Gwen Myers attended the event and gave greetings. (Photos by Julia Jackson)
County Commissioner Gwen Myers, center, is shown with members of the Grace Community Medical Center staff: Dr. Grace Glen, Susmita Gudla, Darrys Reese, Naayana Johnson, Kevin Williams, Physician’s Assistant, Gina Meme and Sha- nia Harris.
The 16th annual Hillsbor- ough County Public Schools High School Poetry Jam took place on January 20, 2021. Historically, this event has been hosted at the Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library, but this year’s Jam was the first ever district virtual Poetry Jam. During the first se- mester at each of the 15 partic- ipating high schools, a local poet worked with the school li- brary media specialist to host a poetry writing/performance workshop and spoken-word Poetry Jam competition where students performed their own works.
The first-place student or team from each high school then represented their school at the district Poetry Jam on January 20th. Judges, including local poets Yuki Jackson and Chael Blinya, Hillsborough County Public Librarian Jason Rodgers, John F. Kennedy School in Berlin, Germany li- brary media specialist Ebony Grigsby, and myOn Commu- nity Literacy Partnership Proj- ect Manager Michelle Rogers, scored and selected the district champions based on writing and performance criteria.
The 2021 Hillsborough County Public Schools High School Poetry Jam Champion is Middleton High School’s
CHADWYK ‘WYNNI P’ SAMPSON ...2021 Poetry Jam Champion and tied for the Students’ Choice Award
Chadwyk “Wynni P” Sampson. Chadwyk also tied for the Students’ Choice Award.
This annual event is spon- sored by the Library Media Services Department of Hills- borough County Public Schools with support from the Hillsbor- ough Education Founda- tion. Poet facilitators and hosts, Walter “Wally B” Jennings, Giddy Perez, Dennis Amadeus and Liz Prisley supported students in their craft during the school site events and served as hosts for the virtual Poetry Jam.
The 2021 Hillsborough County Public Schools District High School Poetry Jam win- ners are:
1st Place: Chadwyk “Wynni P” Sampson, Mid-
dleton HS
2nd Place: Sarah Frank,
HW Blake HS
3rd Place: Gabrielle
(Jamie) Lohn, Hillsborough
HS
Students’ Choice Award (Tie): Chadwyk “Wynni P” Sampson, Middleton HS, and Sophia McGregor, Stein- brenner HS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2021 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 15-A