ACE Spectrum
ACE Spectrum
Ace Spectrum is about you — the ACE Learning Centers.
It’s a quick sharing of ideas, inspiration, opinions and best practices among our continuing education organizations.
Please join the conversation.
ACE Poetry Contest Cat Bombed Because That’s a Tradition
By Guest Blogger Wallace, assisted by Paul Krivonos, ACE Board Member.
My name is Wallace. I’m a cat. I live in Christchurch, which is in New Zealand, and I was asked to cat bomb the ACE Poetry Contest blog because cat bombing is a tradition for this contest.
I’m Wallace. I jump up on things.
I’m a very cheeky cat. I like to climb into other people’s houses through open windows and wander around in their house to see what I can find. One day I found a whole roast chicken, which I ate. It was delicious. I might write a poem about that one day. Doggerel is the name for really bad poetry. Catterel is the name for really good poetry.
I also like to climb up the wall and get on top of my owner’s garage, then jump through the window into my house. They are not really my owners, they just think they are. No one owns a cat. Aaron and Julia, the humans who feed me (and the little kitten that they have also decided to keep in their home), cater to all my whims, so they must work for me. Here is my poem for your poetry contest. If I don’t win, the contest is rigged.
IT’S TIME
It’s time to jump up on the car
It’s time to jump up on the garage
It’s time to jump up on and through my neighbor’s window
It’s time to jump up on and through my window
It’s time to jump up on the kitchen bench*
It’s time to eat the kitten’s food
All this jumping is very tiring
It’s time for a nap
*That’s a kitchen counter in New Zealand talk
One day I’d like to write another poem, a lovely catterel poem about the delicious roast chicken I ate at my neighbor’s house. But as Francesco Marciuliano wrote in his fabulous tome, I Could Pee on This, And Other Poems by Cats:
They say there are
Twenty-four hours in a day
But I’m only up for three of them
And two I consider overtime
So that’s my cat bombing of the ACE Poetry Contest blog. The contest mascots Dexter, Luna, Max and Bessie are great, but sometimes you need a cat’s perspective on poetry. All you students who are learning about and writing poetry – I hope you have lots of fun exploring and jumping up and through all those cool poetry windows.
Have a great poetry week. Okay, time for my nap.
The Inside Scoop on Dexter and Luna and Their First Doggerel Poem
By Dexter and Luna, ACE Poetry Mascots and big fans of Alpha Public Schools. (Martha helped some on this blog but the doggerel poem is ours.)
Hi poetry lovers. We hope you’re having a good first week of National Poetry Month and getting started on the ACE Poetry Contest.
Luna (left) and Dexter here. We’re loving National Poetry Month and writing doggerel poetry.
We thought we’d give you some information about ourselves so you know a little more about your contest mascots. Martha says I (Dexter) should go first since I’m the oldest. So here goes:
I’m a boy dog and will be turning three in May. That’s next month so I can celebrate my birthday with the ACE Poetry Contest winners. My dad, Russ, got me from Golden Retrievers of Northern California when I was just a pup and he says I’m pretty smart and energetic. Plus that I’m goofy because I like to make silly faces and funny noises. But I’m also tech smart because I recognize the notification sound on Russ’ phone when the doorbell cam sees someone and I rush over to the door to see who’s there. That’s called high dog security.
Now it’s Luna’s turn, says Martha.
I’m a girl dog and just turned one year old in January. Dad Russ got me from Adopt My Block in San Jose in January, which was a pretty cool birthday present. He says I’m very sweet but that’s because I love cuddling and giving kisses. I also really love love love to play fetch. Russ also says I have zero awareness of my body space as I force myself into areas too small for me or through people and stuff to get something I want. I just call that focusing on the goal.
Okay, now back to me, Dexter. Luna and I have been working on a doggerel poem we wanted to share. We’re kinda new to this poetry writing stuff so we read a few poems and got inspired by one from a WWI soldier. His name is Sergeant Joyce Kilmer and he likes trees just like we do. But for different reasons.
Luna, pushing my way through here. We think trees are pretty cool, especially the ones we meet on our walks with Russ. We are always greeting them in our special way. Hope you enjoy our doggerel poem.
Trees
By Dexter and Luna
I think that I shall never see
A pee place more lovely than a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth ready to be refreshed;
A tree that loves to be peed on all day
And lifts her leafy arms to say:
“Yo, a tree is here and I love to wear
A dog’s yellow stream in my hair;
Lift up your leg and let it go
Stay as long as you want and make it flow.”
Poems are made by fools like me,
But wow it’s fun to pee on a tree.
Hope you enjoyed our poem. We think it’s a real winner because of its doggerel angle.
Continue to have fun with poetry – reading and writing it.
April is National Poetry Month and that Means ACE Poetry Contest Treats
By Dexter and Luna, ACE Poetry Contest Co-Mascots, assisted by Martha Sessums, ACE President, who kind of understands dog talk
It’s April and that means it’s National Poetry Month. That also means that ACE will once again support a poetry contest for its ACE Learning Center schools. Poems are the best treats to learn about, read, share, write and just enjoy the insight and stories they tell.
Hi. We’re Dexter (Golden Retriever on the left) and Luna (a Pit/Husky mix.) We’re the new ACE Poetry Contest mascots and represent Alpha Public Schools too.
Hi everyone. Dexter and Luna here. We’re the new mascots for the 10th annual ACE Poetry Contest. Our buddy Riley, who was the ACE Poetry Contest mascot for nine years, has retired. He is a tall dog to follow, but we’re gonna try our best. Let’s start with listing the schools in the contest and their mascots.
We gotta start with Alpha Public Schools, the school that we represent. We (Dexter and Luna) love the great students, teachers and staff at the school and we’re honored to be their new mascots.
Max here. Proud to be a part of SFIHS and looking forward to everyone’s poems.
San Francisco International High School is next. And he’s baack – Max the Husky. Max who was the inspiration for the school mascot when SFIHS got started and he is still inspiring, including as mascot for SFIHS’s poetry contests.
High flying Bessie here. The poets at OIHS will really show our beautiful colors with poetry.
Our friends at Oakland International High School picked a high flying mascot this year – Bessie the butterfly. Bessie loves poetry, is known for her flowery prose and enjoys long flights in the sky and looking down on the world below. She was named for a special person too. Bessie Coleman was the first Black/Native American to hold a pilot’s license and the first Black to hold an international pilot’s license. Expect some high flying poetry insight from Bessie.
Of course, there are rules to the ACE Poetry Contest but there is also money involved. Money means treats for humans and humans usually buy treats for dogs with their cash, so we’re good. I suspect they buy flowers too, so Bessie is covered. Here are the rules:
?Any type of poetry is eligible. It can be slam, limerick, Haiku, epic, free verse – just whatever you and your teacher agree upon. That’s the cool thing about poetry. It’s totally creative.
?The contests at each school will be managed by each school. School rules. (Sorry, Luna loves puns.)
?And the winners are: First place receives $150; Second Place receives $125 and Third Place receives $100. Think of all the treats you can buy if you win.
That’s it. Just a fun way to learn about and enjoy poetry. Then write a poem you love and enter the contest. You might win. And that would be very cool.
Here’s the website for National Poetry Month so you can learn more. Also, April 29 is Poem in Your Pocket Day where you can read poetry to anyone – family, friends, even strangers who look like they need a good poem.
We’ll be here to cheer you on all month so look for ACE Spectrum blogs and poems from us – Dexter, Luna, Max and Bessie. We’ll also be doing some social media stuff so look for us at #ACEPoetryContest, #NationalPoetryContest, #NPM22 or share our blogs on your social media favs.
As Riley used to say – treat yourself to a poem.