Last semester, students in Miss Hodge’s elective class collected their best work to form a booklet. This will be the beginning of a new anthology that will be published every year. With the absence of Creative Writing on the course schedule for 2025 – 2026, the anthology will shift to a “Best of The CHS Writers’ Circle” collection this time next year.
Nico DeGuzman was one of the original creators of this anthology after taking the Creative Writing class in 2023 – 2024. He says, “it can be difficult to actually have your writing accepted by a publication, so there’s beautiful poems and stories written by students that won’t receive the recognition they deserve. Having an anthology specifically for Chester High School allows these works of art to have their moment in the spotlight and be shared with the community.”
A senior at Chester High School, Sunny Jausel, submitted a poem titled “Only One Step.” According to Sunny, “I chose this poem because it was the first ever poem to make me realize I love writing”. Other students have chosen their best work by going off of personal connection, audience engagement, impact, and personal reflection. Each writer is different when it comes to their best work which is what makes writing so creative.
Creative writing students have written short stories and poems every week. Throughout the school year students have written haikus, stories in different genres, and learned the different skills to become a more advanced writer. Some students have even published work online and in print, like TeenInk. TeenInk is a website devoted to teen writing. It gives teens the chance to get their work out there and get a shot of their work winning and being published. Students also submit to other writing competitions during the school year, such as unsolved, Chester Public Library, SWIC, write the world, and much more. Even the cover design for the anthology was a creative assignment in class — students voted for their favorite, and the cover design shown was created by sophomore Ryker Hoffman.
Although the Creative Writing class will not be offered for the 2025 – 2026 school year, you can join Miss Hodge’s “waiting list” or join The CHS Writers’ Circle (club) by sending her an email at [email protected]. Writers’ Circle meetings will take place every Thursday, after school, in Miss Hodge’s room. The CHS Poetry Competition will return for all students, staff, and alumni in September 2025.