Roses are red, violets are blue, Castro Valley loves poetry, how about you?

The Castro Valley Educational Foundation (CVEF) along with the Castro Valley Unified School District put on their third annual Art and Poetry show for middle and high school students on Saturday March 16 at the Castro Valley Library.

Rita Mateo, president of CVEF explained that this was the highest year of entries, with over 400 poems from both the middle schools and the high school. Out of the 400 poems they got, they chose the top 25.

“It was very difficult to choose the top 25 out of all the amazing poems and art we had gotten. All the students who turned them in did such a great job. This program is great because these young adults are able to express themselves and give them a chance to do something amazing,” said Mateo.

CVHS Principal Mary Ann Valles showed up to support the high school students in their hard work. CVHS teachers Daren Wilkerson, Anne Parris and Jo Sutton helped to put everything together, their hard work could be seen in the amazing displays and how nice everything went.

Participants in the show could take first  and win $100, second and win $50 or third and win $25. The Olympian’s own Leia Saelee took first for her “Game of Cat and Mouse” poem and artwork.

“I was shocked. I didn’t hear my name called for the longest time and I started thinking that a they didn’t even have me in the contest but then all of sudden, I took first,” exclaimed Saelee.

Kimberly Low took second and Kimberly Tang took third. Other art work done by the high school students were “Have we evolved?” by Jackson Stephens, “I know” by Monica Baca and “No longer a girl” by Minorka Reyes.

The top 25 high school participants along with the middle school participants will all have their artwork and poems published in a book that will be available at the end of the month at the library.