Prestwood School Fifth-Graders take to airwaves with own Earth Day poetry - Sonoma, CA

Teachers at Prestwood School's 5th grade class chose 22 students to read their poems on KSVY 91.3 Sonoma Wednesday; poems the students wrote for the annual River of Words poetry contest. I'm sorry I missed this radio program. Good on you, KSVY 91.3!

Reading and writing poetry are part of a language arts program at Prestwood and students are given 5 poetry lessons a year starting in the 3rd grade! This is great stuff, folks. And get this - this poetry program is paid for by using PTO funds due to budget crunch we're all undergoing these days. So, kudos go to you, too, Prestwood PTO!

Sonoma Valley Sun is running the following poem by Francisco Cervantes-Escatel (your poem reveals a soul beyond your physical age, Francisco. Super job! Keep writing, honey!) in the article:

Butterflies Soar

All over the world
butterflies are born
Chalcedon checkerspot
drifting through the air
eating from plants
fluttering by
great spangled fritillary larva
hiding from animals.
I gaze down to nature.

by Francisco Cervantes-Escatel, Prestwood Elementary School

Prestwood is also lucky to have poet-teacher Phyllis Meshulam on-board teaching these poetry classes for the past several years. Meshulam is an independent contractor working with California Poets in the Schools, which just celebrated 45 year anni with the school system.

The River of Words poetry contest had the students concentrating their efforts on water and nature themes which tied in to lessons on the environment and earth's watersheds. Watershed art and poetry submitted to River of Words is seen around the world by millions of people in magazines, books, in person, and through other media.

2007 River of Words Monkey's Raincoat Haiku Prize

The Four Seasons

All of the seasons
Are spent mastering the form
None call it easy

Ashley Lopez, age 10
La Ballona Star School
Paramount, Calif.