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Regional High School students expose their soul , write from the heart
Opening their hearts and exposing their souls , Anoka- Hennepin Regional High School ( AHRHS ) students employed poetic license to express their deepest feelings .
Weeping over a beloved grandmother ’ s death , enraged at a parent ’ s betrayal or determined to make their own way , the sophomore students exercised rarely expressed emotion when they read their original poetry aloud during a Dec . 1 poetry reading at the school .
Students recognized the value of the exercise in spite of the pain that may have been ignited during the writing process .
“ I found out I write my best poetry when it ’ s about something I can relate to : depression . It helped me be able to explain it to others ,” said student Marissa Jenkins .
Another student , Kadetra Brooks , wept as she read the poem she wrote about her granny ’ s death .
“ I ’ ll have to see you in another dream ,” she said in one stanza of that mournful lyric .
“ Writing my poetry let me express feelings I never had been able to express before ,” she said .
Classmate Tyler Johnson had never written poetry before , and to his surprise , he discovered that he liked doing it .
“ I found out I could write one good poem . Now I might write more ,” he said .
Diego Vazquez , Jr ., writer-in-residence at AHRHS , worked with the students in Kristi Weidlein ’ s English class during a six-week period and called it a “ remarkable experience .”
“ It ’ s amazing to see what these kids can do . Some of them went from writing about their favorite basketball team to really writing , really expressing some personal thoughts , really writing about themselves ,” Vazquez said .
English 10 teacher Kristi Weidlein hugs writer-in-residence Diego Vazquez , Jr . after she and assistant principal Megan Hendrix thank the poet for his work with students and present him with a Regional High School T-shirt .
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That ’ s really important ,” Kiefer said and then named several more influential teachers at the high school .
“ Mr . Tice was a math teacher I really liked . Mr . Brown and Mr . Cochran were amazing teachers in industrial arts . Mr . Wolf was a brilliant electronics instructor . Mr . Kruge was chemistry and really knew how to excite students with lessons . Mr . Guy Resse , aviation science , was another one who really had a passion for the subject and it rubbed off on us . I had a great time in high school ,” Kiefer said .
Employing the “ buddy system ,” Kiefer enlisted in the Air Force with his best friend , Rob Gutkaes , and his neighbor , Mark Luke . While his buddies became aircraft mechanics , Kiefer scored highest in electrical mechanics and pursued that specialty with the Air Force .
While an Airman , Kiefer continued following his passions for science and mathematics , studying at Air Force College , Orange County Community College and Clark Community College .
Anoka-Hennepin Regional High School student Jerome Swanson reads his light-hearted poem about his “ big hair .”
Vazquez visited the classroom several times a week during the six-week period . He gave students exercises and assignments , exposed them to raw and emotional poetry and challenged them to take a risk with their own .
“ They were scared at first , nervous , but I just guide them to their own direction and try to reach their hearts . These kids take such risks and I told them there is no bad poetry . Just get it out , get it down on paper . What they got down is remarkable stuff ,” Vazquez said .
A published poet and novelist , Vazquez said he finds great joy and inspiration in working with the students .
“ Poetry always reaches your heart . It ’ s the quickest connection to the heart with no road blocks ,” he said . “ I just guide them in the exercises , let them respond and react … create on their own as much as possible ,” he said .
Vazquez ’ s work with the students was made possible through a partnership with Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts and Allina Health . High school administrators recently learned that Vazquez will be returning as writer-in-residence another time as well .
“ This has been an amazing experience ,” said Weidlein . “ We truly have some amazing students here at Regional and Diego really allowed them to have their own voice – and they have some amazing voices . With Diego they ’ ve become better writers , better risk-takers . We ’ re so glad we ’ ve been able to have Diego here and so glad that he will be returning .”
Vazquez expressed his eagerness to working with emerging writers .
“ To see the progression is truly remarkable ,” he said . “ At first they can ’ t think of what to write and soon they reach the heart in such a remarkable way . It ’ s astounding .”
To learn more about Anoka-Hennepin Regional High School , visit ahschools . us / ahregional . ■
After three and a half years of active duty with the Air Force , Kiefer took an “ early out ” and attended Anoka-Ramsey Community College , Hennepin County Community College and the University of Minnesota while working at Honeywell .
“ I received an AA ( Associate of Arts ) and AS ( Associate of Science ) and have over 390 college credits . Most of the credits are technical , science and / or engineering ,” said the well-educated Coon Rapids graduate .
In his professional life , Kiefer has done contract engineering and consulting work for 3M , NSP , Microtron , Analog Systems , ATK and Stratasys , among others .
“ Yeah , I ’ ve done a lot of engineering and to be an engineer you have to be kind of nerdy . That ’ s okay . I never had a problem being nerdy ,” Kiefer said . ■
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE
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a top priority . At the top of the current year ’ s list in this area are strategies for improving math and reading proficiency across the system , and focusing on effectively using technology to support learning . For students that are already proficient , we are looking at ways to enhance our gifted and talented programming . We have also been developing a new STEAM ( science , technology , engineering , arts and math ) program at Anoka High School .
Looking forward to the next school year , we will continue to implement our math and literacy strategies . There are also plans to improve special education services , implement recommendations in our talent development program , improve specialty and magnet school offerings , and continue a commitment to early learning programs .
We want to make sure our schools continue to be safe and welcoming for all students and great places for learning . Our district is thoughtful in planning in this area as well . This past year , we provided training for all employees on crisis response . We have also provided facility upgrades as recommended by law enforcement and our crisis committee . Students perform better when they are engaged in school and feel safe .
Ensuring this system of some 38,000 students and 6,000 staff members has effective organizational support is a third strategic priority area and essential to reaching our goals . From effective planning of financial resources to recruiting and retaining employees to streamlining our internal data sharing , we are as committed to improvement operationally as we are instructionally .
One of the bigger efforts operationally is our need to ensure our facilities meet our needs . In the months ahead , the School Board will be determining next steps for a district facility plan that has the potential to shape our school district for the next decade and beyond . The 32-member , Fit for the Future Task Force has developed and presented a series of options to address current and future facility challenges . In the tradition of Anoka-Hennepin schools , the School Board turned to the community to review and make these recommendations , and this dedicated group worked for over 10 months on this detailed review and recommendation . Please review the front-page article in this issue of the FOCUS for an overview of this process or visit ahschools . us / fff for more information .
Our district values involvement and interactions that lead to improved outcomes for our students . We work hard to create the type of schools that meet and exceed community expectations . This work is ongoing and only benefits from engaged and involved students , staff , parent / guardians and community .
Thank you for your ongoing support of our schools as we work diligently to pursue our mission of preparing students for life . ■