September 29, 2008

Children's author/musician will work with Newell Elementary School students

Children's author and musician Mike Mennard of Lincoln will work with Newell Elementary School students on poetry and writing on Friday, Oct. 10, Newell Principal Brad Wolfe said.

Mennard will also present a free concert for Newell students and their families on Saturday, Oct. 11.

He is an English professor at Union College in Lincoln.

Mennard will work with Newell students from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 10 and will give a free concert for Newell students and their families and staff from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Oct. 11 in the school's gym at 2700 W. 13th St.

Topics he will cover with students include how the sounds of nature help to give life to writing, what variety of materials is available to poets, and how it is possible to make sense out of nonsense, Wolfe said.

At the Oct. 11 concert, Mennard will entertain students and families with his humor and songs as they learn about pirates: how to talk like a pirate, how to swab like a pirate, and how to perform the secret pirate dance.

More information about Mennard is available on his Web site, www.mikemennard.com.

For more information, contact: Brad Wolfe, principal, Newell Elementary School, 2700 W. 13th St., Grand Island, (308) 385-5905, bwolfe@gips.org