The 2009 Van Cleve Arts Extravaganza

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Van Cleve’s 2009 Poetry, Writing and Art Extravaganza Awards Assembly is the culmination of our children’s work during the year in poetry, writing and art.  The children, voluntarily, wrote poems or did art projects with the theme of Tolerance.  All of the Van Cleve children participated and won awards. 

The students had worked with Poet Bill Wertheim and portrait artist Tanna Johnson, as well as with Van Cleve staff.  There were over 200 works produced by the students.  Thirty-six students were also accepted for publication in the national poetry contests for 2008-9 sponsored by Creative Communications, Inc. 

Many students received top awards from the Van Cleve Program for their outstanding contributions.  Jonathan Edouard received the highest honor, the Grand Prize, for both his poetry and art works.  The audience with Van Cleve students, parents, staff and NYISE administrators, also, were delighted with many dance, rap and musical numbers performed by the children. 

About 30 children recited poems aloud at the Assembly.  Also, Van Cleve was honored by an appearance of the Thomas Family and Mr. Kenneth Thomas, father of Van Cleve student Clarisa,  read his moving poem “My Skin Does Not Define Me” as part of the Tolerance theme.

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