It’s festival season and most of them are back from a long Covid break. All week I introduced different poetry forms to my students. They could choose their own topics. Coincidentally two chose to write about upcoming festivals using the dodoitsu form. Dodoitsu is a Japanese form that uses the syllable count of 7,7,7,5. Avalyn, 2nd grade, wrote about the Lao New Year Festival. Avalyn’s family belongs to the Buddhist Temple located in Coteau, a suburb of New Iberia. In the 70’s Laotian immigrants were aided by Catholic Services to purchase land to build a temple. Every year around Easter, the community celebrates the Lao New Year. Avalyn is looking forward to it with enthusiasm. She wrote a cherita here. I’m sharing her dodoitsu.
My Lao New Year
First we go inside to pray
next we go outside to play
food and fun and lots of joy
spend money on toys
Avalyn, 2nd grade
The Spanish Festival queen is a substitute teacher at our school, so she and her cohort visited the school to promote the Spanish Festival happening this weekend in New Iberia. This beautiful crocheted canopy is on display downtown.
Chloe was prompted by the queen’s visit to write her dodoitsu about the Spanish festival.
Spanish Festival
Crochet ceiling, knit till dark
staying up with family
Everyone’s culture matters
As dawn sets down day
Chloe, 6th grade
Reflections on the Teche 
