 |
| With students at La Cuesta Continuation High School |
Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate 2023-2025
Last week, I visited La Cuesta High School. La Cuesta is a
continuation school and part of Santa Barbara Unified’s alternative
education program. If you didn’t know about La Cuesta, you are not
alone, I almost went to the wrong school. Luckily, I had to drop off
some books earlier in the week and found the correct address. The
continuation program provides support for students age 16 or older
who are at risk of not graduating high school. With an average
teacher to student ratio of one teacher for about fifteen students,
each student is paired with a mentor and is given a second chance to
succeed and graduate high school.
The visit was a bit rushed. The school itself is much smaller than
most high schools or junior high schools. The room had a podium but
no microphone. My visit was on a Thursday, a shorter day for all
students. Had I known this ahead of time, I would have tried to give
my presentation without a microphone. Also, trying to get anyone’s
attention an hour before they know they are about to go home is
challenging. When the students sat down, many seemed shut down or
tired and or hungry. A few were quietly finishing their snacks. I was
a little nervous because they seemed like a tough crowd at first. But
they were very attentive and they responded positively when I asked
them if they wanted to hear a song I wrote, based on the poem they
had been studying, How Fire Is a Story, Waiting. They were very shy
about asking questions, most of the questions came from the teachers.
As I was reading and talking about my poetry, I could feel the energy
shift and the students became more engaged. I was happy to see that
two of the students stopped to shake my hand on their way out.
Instructional Support Specialist Lauren Gleason has been at La Cuesta
for four years. She was previously at Alta Vista for 12 years. Alta
Vista is alternative high school that students can choose to attend.
Local poet and teacher James Claffey brought some of his Alta Vista
students to hear my presentation. Lauren is very proud of the
program. I asked her if there were any particular success stories she
could talk about and she beamed and said that there were so many
success stories. “I love my position,” she said. She also
emphasized the connection between teachers, students, and parents and
explained that La Cuesta forms a strong community in order to offer
extra love and support to the students. Students at La Cuesta can
stay for a second senior year but the goal is graduation, which takes
place at the courthouse. For students who need more than 4 years to
graduate, there’s a Flex program that makes up the third branch of
Santa Barbara’s alternative school programs.
*an earlier version of this column was published in the Santa Barbara Independent
This week’s poem comes from Ventura poet, Danielle Pineda Brown.
Cap and Trade
Danielle Pineda Brown
Dr
Oz says this, while Weight Watchers says that.
They
all seem to know how to get rid of fat.
Achieving
reductions can happen, you'll see,
if
daily you drink of some green or white tea.
Measuring,
reporting, and verification
just
seems like a source for more humiliation.
Set
limits on intake and earn extra credit:
walk,
swim or bike. If you don't, you'll regret it.
Fad
diets? Oh no! They are out of the question.
They
are good for two things: heartburn, indigestion.
I've
listened to them and given all a try.
The
result is a credit card bill that’s sky high.
But
all is not gloom; yes, there's still hope in sight,
for
instance, the article I read last night.
Scientists
discovered an adipose gene
that
decides if your body will be fat or lean.
Accumulate
or burn? Asks this master fat switch.
How
we are to control it is still the big glitch.
The
right thing to do is to have Fat and Trade
Between
Roly-Poly and Skinny as a Blade.
Take
Jack Sprat and his wife, they could average it out.
Put
a “cap” on the calories of skinny and stout,
Then
what he doesn't eat can be put to her use.
Who
cares if her waistline is tight and his loose?
What
if she likes to gobble and he likes to taste?
Bottom
line is there’s no food gone to waste.
It
sounded so good that I gave it a try.
I
have to admit with a tear and a sigh.
After
caps have been capped and trades had been made,
my
scale said to me, “Girl, you've been betrayed!”
