Walthour Brings Poetry to Children at CSM
CSM Trustee Dr. Janice T. Walthour is surrounded by St. Charles Children’s Learning Center students as she recites her poem, “Shout Sister Lizzie,” April 21 for National Poetry Month.
Students at the St. Charles Children’s Learning Center on the La Plata campus of the College of Southern Maryland got a special treat on April 21, 2016, as celebrity reader Dr. Janice T. Walthour came to read poetry to them for National Poetry Month.
Dr. Walthour, a member of the CSM Board of Trustees since 2007, is a lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County. She graduated from George Washington Carver High School in 1968, at a time when it was one of two public high schools for black students in the county. She then earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Morgan State University, a master’s degree from George Washington University, and a doctorate in administration and supervision from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Dr. Walthour read poems from “Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems” by Eloise Greenfield, and selected pieces by Artie Knapp and Laura E. Richards as well as her own poems, “Gosh Josh” and “Shout Sister Lizzie.”
“I’ve loved poetry since I was a child,” Dr. Walthour said. “We would sit around on Sundays at my grandmother’s and my uncles and aunts would present their favorite poetry and music.” She said she writes poems to honor family and friends for birthdays, anniversaries, and other life celebrations.
Dr. Walthour taught the students that poetry encompasses music, as they sang Mother Goose rhymes and “This Little Light of Mine.”
“It was wonderful to see their interest and energy,” she said. “We moved, we talked, we shared experiences.” For a video of Dr. Walthour reciting “Shout Sister Lizzie,” click here.
The St. Charles Children’s Learning Center provides quality child-centered care to the children of CSM students, faculty, and staff, as well as community members. Since it opened in 2006, it has worked to enhance the lives of children, their families, and the greater Southern Maryland community.
The center has earned a Maryland EXCELS Level 3 rating by the Maryland State Department of Education and is in the accreditation process. The center offers 10,000 square feet of learning space, which includes nine child-centered classrooms, a gymnasium, and a prep kitchen. In addition, it has its own private landscaped playground and access to the campus grounds.
For a playlist of Celebrity Reader selections, visit here. For information on the St. Charles Children’s Learning Center, visit here.
For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit its Leader member page.
