I am a teacher of a charter school in the Fruitvale District of Oakland. For the past four years my largely Hispanic 6th grade class has worked with the Center For the Art of Translation. The Center's master poet, John Simon, has been in colaboration with my students translating poetry written by the likes of Neruda, Ochoa, Teillier, Blanco, and many others. My students are introduced to the Spanish writers of poetry and then hone their translation skills while carefully picking and choosing English words that complement the poet's ideas. Typically a student writing time follows where they craft original poetry written in the style of the poet being studied. I am constantly amazed at the quality of the written word that comes from my students. This quality is directly attributed to the direction of Mr. Simon's poetry program. I, myself, write poetry during this time and have written my most meaningful poetry. The students share their poems at the end of the period with me sharing my poems also. The students find this time very rewarding as do I. At the end of our sessions the students edit and revise their work for publication in the school's annual poetry compendium. This will be my fifth year in association with the Center for the Art of Translation and cooperation with Mr. Simon. This is a very worthwhile writing program led by an excellent poet. Patrick Galleguillos 6th Grade Dolores Huerta Learning Academy