Photos by Erin Nelson.
This month, we are honored to partner with Charles Ghigna, aka “Father Goose,” to highlight the winners of the 2023 Homewood Star poetry contest.
The winners are:
Kindergarten and first grade: Peri Jeane Burton, first place; Milo Van Horn, second place
Second and third grades: Kate Reeves, first place; Tru Egbe, second place; Xavier Wiget, third place; Laura Acevedo Baez, honorable mention
Fourth and fifth grades: Mary Linden Hageman and Eliza McLemore, first place tie; Ryan Isley, second place; Savannah Mays, third place
We have also included several of the “Honorable Mention” winners chosen by Ghigna.
Butterfly
Peri Jeane Burton
Caterpillar, caterpillar
Hatching from an egg
Growing so big
With so many legs.
As it eats
The greenest of leaves
From the city park's
Sunniest tree,
It will create
A cocoon very soon.
After several
Suns and moons
A big, beautiful
Butterfly you'll be
Fluttering around
For me to see.
Butterfly, butterfly
Flying so high
Now you're a caterpillar
Up in the sky.
– By Peri Jeane Burton, first grade
Shades Cahaba Elementary, Mrs. Truesdell
Looking
Milo Van Horn
I looked over here.
I looked over there.
I’ve been looking everywhere.
I looked on the floor.
I looked by the door.
I looked in the drawer.
But I don’t even know what I’m looking for.
– By Milo Van Horn, kindergarten
Edgewood Elementary, Mrs. Stallings
Echo
Kate Reeves
I call into the valley
and it seems to rally
echos from deep inside
in their only place to hide
way down there fast asleep
waiting in a dungeon deep
ready
very steady
waiting for a voice
it really is your choice
you can let it sleep
leave it down to weep
but you're a nice fellow
to want to hear an echo.
– By Kate Reeves, third grade
Edgewood Elementary School, Mrs. Brock
Homewood is like a Dream
Tru Egbe
Homewood is like a dream.
The city sparkles like stars.
The parks are as fun as the beach.
The people are like family.
– By Tru Egbe, third grade
Hall-Kent Elementary School, Mrs. Wilder
We Go to the Pool: A Limerick
Xavier Wiget.
We go to the pool to splash around.
Play hide 'n' seek and no one is found.
Homewood is great fun.
Grown ups jog in the morning sun.
And our band should be crowned.
– By Xavier Wiget, third grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Scott
Homewood is the Best
Homewood is the best.
Our schools love us.
My Bffs always love me.
Each person is special.
We treat each other with kindness.
Our people have liberty.
Our pets love and care.
Differences is what makes us special.
– By Laura Acevedo Baez, second grade
Hall-Kent Elementary School, Mrs. Pruitt
Oh Homewood
Oh Homewood, oh Homewood there is nothing bad about you
Hall-Kent, Shades Cahaba, and Edgewood too.
Oh Homewood, oh Homewood you have the best community
With swings and slides, you are perfect to me.
Oh Homewood, oh Homewood you shine when the sun hits your parks
When all the kids leave it then becomes dark.
Oh Homewood, oh Homewood you have Neighbor's and Edgewood Creamery
and also Pizzeria GM with really nice scenery
Bandwagon has Homewood merch with the patriot symbol
with crocs to shirts which range from adults to me
Oh Homewood, oh Homewood you are the best to see, for when I go
out of town I come back buzzing like a bee!
Homewood you are my Home!
– By Mary Linden Hagemann, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Lawrence
Ode to Homewood
Oh, Homewood,
What a sight to see!
Birds are singing in their tree
In this city, everyone is filled with glee!
Being astonished is a guarantee!
Oh, Homewood, overlooking Homewood!
How Vulcan watches over the night,
His spear pointing to the Greek Gods
The son of Zeus and Hera
Vulcan will always be just right!
Oh. Homewood, most playful Homewood!
Welcome to Patriot Park!
Memories are made here
Year after year,
Families always seem to appear!
Tastiest Homewood!
Oh' how Steel City Pops will always
tickle my tastebuds!
The ice cream will always send me to an
unknown paradise.
As it sings me sweet lullabies,
City Pop will always have a place in my heart!
Dearest Homewood, Most Educational Homewood,
The most dedicated teachers, left and right,
Math and reading are familiar sights!
No words can describe how academic your schools are
To whomever is an educator you are a superstar!
Loveliest Homewood,
We all love you,
Now and forever.
Never stop being great,
YOU are my Fate!
– By Eliza McLemore, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Lawrence
Homewood Is Fun: Acrostic
Homewood
Oodles of friends
Making lemonade
Edgewood
Walking to pools
Ominous amounts of fun
Obviously the best
Dogs everywhere
I love Homewood
Shades Cahaba
Friends around every corner
Under shade in the hot summer
Never boring!
– By Ryan Isley, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Mrs. Vaughan
Homewood Is The Very Best
Homewood is the very best
Way beyond all the rest.
Riding bikes around the park
Even after it gets dark.
Walking home in the night
With the street lights shining bright.
When Christmas comes the Homewood Star
Shines brightly where you are.
I hope you have a great day
just don't throw my poem away.
– By Savannah Mays, fourth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Mrs. Chance
Homewood Is So Great!
Homewood is so great!
What is there for you to hate?
Homewood’s awesome parks!
Fun parks filled with lots of bark!
It's fun to make friends
in a school that deserves wins!
Dancing trees in Spring!
We should all dance in Homewood!
– By Abram Crawford, fourth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Brandler
What Makes Homewood
What makes Homewood
different from all the rest
is that we all are very blessed.
We have teachers to help us
read, write, and play
to help us learn they take
time out of their day.
Another way that Homewood is Blessed
are our food that's nothing like the rest
We have Gian Marco’s, Neighbors, and Taco Mama
they are so yummy.
and they fill Homewoodians tummies.
Blessed we are, we have great resources
like the Homewood Star that comes
right to our porches.
But the best reason of all is the
People always working together to
make Homewood Better!
– By Addy Marshal, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Mrs. Vaughan
Sometimes It's Hot Sometimes It’s Cold
Sometimes it's hot sometimes it's cold
we are always bold
We stand up for people
We make people feel at home
This is love and we spread it
When it's summer we have swim team
The ice cream truck is riding
around our neighborhood.
People are at the public library.
The parks are crowded
It's in Alabama, We call it Homewood.
– By Nora McAnally, fourth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Mrs. Blackwood
Homewood's My Home
Homewood's my home
Only entertaining
Makes me happy
Everyday
Walking around the park
Outstanding restaurants
On Monday I'm counting
Da' Ways you make me
HAPPY!
– By Braxton Galloway, fourth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Mrs. Chance
I Love Homewood
I love Homewood
It's so much fun
I love Homewood
Room to run
I love Homewood
All the schools
I love Homewood
All the pools
I love Homewood
get to play
I love Homewood
day to day
I love Homewood
with Russle, Delta and Mazie too
I love Homewood
to share with YOU!
– By Evelyn Buie, fourth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Pugh
Have You Ever Wanted To Learn The Best?
Have you ever wanted to learn the best?
Well come on over to HCS.
In P.E. you run miles, in fact, 25!
Go to the pool if you want to take a dive.
The city of Homewood is better than the rest!
– By Caleb Siegel, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Windham
Homewood Haiku
Clean and awesome schools
So many friendly neighbors
Parks and pools galore
– By Ender Wiget, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Moore
Homewood Is Fun
Homewood is fun
Homewood is cool.
I love it when I can
swim in the pool.
Homewood is great
Can't you see?
It's a wonderful place
for you and me.
– By Sara Rawlings, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Ms. Moore
Homewood
Hello and welcome to the one and only best place to be, in
Other words, a place like Homewood truly is the key to
Making new ideas skyrocket creativity.
Everyone is welcome to the place where dreams come true.
Where you can truly really be the super awesome you!
Other thing it has are pools to cool down
Of course the main thing we are, what you really see is one
Determined happy great community!
– By Ezra Ytterberg, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Mrs. Vaughan
Homewood Is Great
Homewood is great
Schools help us decide our fate.
Take a walk around the park.
Where the mood will never go dark.
Now a new day at Homewood awaits.
– By Preanna Piya, fifth grade
Hall-Kent Elementary, Mrs. Albritton
