POETRY IS YOUR FRIEND: As of Jan. 17, six teachers have signed up their classes to take part in the Poetry Out Loud recitation competition. They are Megan Oteri, language arts teacher at Attention Homes, Cheyenne; Susie Tilton-Chiovaro, drama teacher at Burlington H.S.; Mary Odenbach, language arts teacher at Kaycee School; Leslie Shinaver, who teaches language arts at Swift Creek learning Center in Afton; Karl Sutton, creative writing/language arts teacher at Pathfinder H.S. in Lander; and Michael Starks, speech/debate guru at Cheyenne East. It’s interesting to note that three of these are alternative schools, that is, places where students go who have experienced a bit of drama during their educational careers. In my experience, they are extremely creative teens, although they’ve mostly been creative in stirring up trouble. I speak as a parent of one of them, although he now is safely out of his teens and working in the desert. A talented writer, too. Poetry Out Loud is shaping up to be a neat experience for everyone involved. Teachers can enter through Jan. 30. Participants (in grades 9-12) will memorize three poems and compete school-wide and then statewide at the final in Cheyenne in April. The WYO winner gets a cash prize and an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to match wits with peers from around the U.S. WAC staffers Mike Shay and Camellia el-Antably are your WAC contacts. Call Mike at 307-777-5234 or Camellia at 777-5305. Find a printable Poetry Out Loud form on the WAC web site.

- posted by Michael Shay @ 10:34 AM