Arf! Arf! April and National Poetry Month Begin, and So Does the ACE Poetry Contest
By Riley, ACE Poetry Contest Mascot, assisted by Martha Sessums, ACE President, because there’s no Dog-Approved keyboard
Me and Lucy. In a poetic moment.
Hi again everyone. Arf! It’s April, and that means it’s National Poetry Month. I’m working the ACE Poetry Contest for the seventh year and I hear from my human friends that that’s an important year in what they call “dog years.” But I don’t get it. One dog year equals seven human years? Trying to keep up with my friend Lucy Rose, who moves really fast, makes it seem like it’s months not years. Whew. Lucy Rose, quit pulling my ears!
Once again, all the ACE Learning Center schools will participate. My favorite school is, of course, the Alpha Public Schools and their ACE Learning Center. But the other schools are great too. Oakland International High School (OIHS), San Francisco International High School (OIHS) and Oxford Day Academy (ODA) and their ACE Learning Center will join in the poetry jam.
You’ll soon meet the school mascots too. SFIHS’s mascot is Hei Hei, a Husky (of sorts) because they are The Huskys. 
ODA’s mascot is Thor, who was last year’s mascot and is pretty cool. And OIHS’s mascot is again Samosa. Samosa is a cat, but she is the coolest poetry cat. She has already written a poem which you will see tomorrow. Look out Mascots – the poetry bar is set high by Marvel-ous Samosa. (Cats have lots of secrets ya know. Don’t mess with them.)
Let me get to the rules, which have changed this year.
–Poetry topic is open. Used to be “learning with technology,” but technology is so much a part of our lives now that the seven-year old topic is mundane. Not cool. From now on. the topic is up to each school and its ACE Poetry Contest rule makers.
–Each school and ACE Learning Center will manage and judge its own contests.
–Prizes have increased. First Place receives $100, Second Place receives $75 and Third Place receives $50.
As always, any type of poetry is eligible. You know my favorite is doggerel, but haiku, slam, limerick, free verse, limerick, qasīdah, epic – any form is acceptable.
Arf arf! I’m so excited. I love this month. Not just because I get lots of attention and treats (which is always great) but because poems are great and learning about and writing them is fun. Look for blogs and poems from all the Mascots. Poem in Your Pocket Day is April 18, and all the winning poems in the contest will be posted on the ACE Spectrum blog too.
And don’t forget social media to share – #ACEPoetryContest, #NPM19, plus post on your social media favorites. Maybe a cool YouTube of you and your friends reciting poetry?
Check us out all month, and remember, treat yourself to a poem.