People, Places, and Things: 5-27-15

KIPP students become published poets in national contestMaddison Holmes, a special education teacher at KIPP Academy in Lynn, attended Lynn Public Schools her entire life and is now working in the city she loves and calls home. In high school, her AP English teacher, Mrs. Christoforo, pushed her to enter a national poetry contest to get her writing published. She had the honor of being chosen.This year, five years after her own poem was selected, Holmes asked some of her students to enter the same contest. Rianne Elsadig, Leonce Eustache and Yesenia Bandoo were chosen for publication for the Creative Communications National Poetry Contest. This is a great honor, as hundreds of thousands of poems are sent in from across the country, and only about 10 percent are picked for publication. Rianne is a graduating senior at KIPP, and both Yesenia and Leonce are 10th-graders.When asked how she felt about her students being published, Holmes replied, “I am honored and truly lucky to have such talented students to work with. They are taking great risks and have intense power behind their voices. I couldn’t be prouder.”Not your average yard saleThe Knotty Knitters of Sacred Heart Parish (knitters for charity) will conduct a parish yard sale in the church parking lot Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 571 Boston St., Lynn. Rain location: school gym behind the parish.Donations are still being accepted at the old convent, next to the church, but already available are antiques, collectibles and “good stuff cheap.” No clothing, please.The committee is looking for a volunteer with a truck Saturday at 7 a.m. and at 2 p.m. If available, call Dave Solimine Sr. at 781-595-1492.For information, contact co-chairpersons Terri Stultz at 781-598-1840 or Mary Jane Solimine at 781-592-0186.LEHS Class of 1965 plans 50th reunionThe Lynn English High School Class of 1965 is planning its 50th reunion Friday, Sept. 11 at DoubleTree by Hilton in Danvers, starting with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and dancing until midnight with special surprises. Saturday, Sept. 12, English High School will host a complimentary breakfast at 9 a.m. in honor of the 50th reunion followed by a guided tour of the school by JROTC students. The tour will include the Cavanagh Field House named after Paul Cavanagh, who died in a 1990 plane crash and was a member of the 1965 graduating class.The Class of 1965 was the largest to graduate from English on June 5, 1965. The weather was perfect as 632 seniors and 16 postgraduates received diplomas in a commencement ceremony that was school’s first outdoor graduation. The graduates sat in rows along the curved driveway facing the portico of the school as families and guests were seated under the trees on the lawn.Reunion organizers recently met to firm up plans at the home of Helen (Heffernan) Jennings. Invitations and notices have been sent to 453 classmates in the Class of 1965 database.For more information, please visit http://lynnenglish1965.info or call Eleanor (Shellgren) Starkenberg at 781-599-0092.