Writers'+Gallery

Our lives are filled with precious moments, stories, objects, memories, reflections, fears, and dreams. In every child and adult are volumes of great literature only waiting to be explored and shared. Writer’s Workshop is a place where we declare our lives as meaningful and significant.

The basic format of any given day of Writer’s Workshop consists of a mini lesson, a block of sustained writing, and a share time. However, my philosophy and approach to writing goes far beyond the confines of an hour in the morning. Students will keep writer’s notebooks...treasure chests of ideas, phrases, and images that they create from their own lives. It is from these entries that students will build published pieces in many different genres.

In the adult world, we write from our own lives. The great writers and authors whose books line our shelves all begin with moments in their own experience and create something significant and meaningful. As writers and authors, students and I will delve into great literature and unlock the mysteries of our favorite writers. Those authors will become our mentors while working on our own craft. We will live life "wide wake" and seek out the meaning and mystery in the pockets and shoe boxes of our lives.

In order to “live the writerly life", our notebook will become a fixture...something that will always be with us. Students will write at home and in school. My hope is that soon, your child will be bringing their notebook most places s/he goes or rushing home to jot something down that s/he noticed during the day so as not to forget a word that held something beautiful or something intriguing.

Enjoy a tour through this gallery of student publications that are products of our Writer's Workshop.

ZR 11-8-09 Spelling Story The manager of The Frozen Café, Roger Williams didn’t know what to do. He had been serving cold, frozen hamburgers and hotdogs to the customers. But Roger was now having a dilemma, people had began to complain about all the food not being cooked, and to change that, well, The Frozen Café would have to hire a real chef to cook, and would have to buy a real kitchen to cook in. This may have seemed like a no-brainer to a millionaire like Williams, but if The Frozen Café turned into a real restaurant The Frozen Café wouldn’t be The Frozen Café. Ever since Roger’s ancestor’s had been running the Café there had never been 1 bit of non-frozen anything. Even the map on the wall that taught children the geography of the United States was frozen solid! Roger was having trouble keeping in his hidden stress, so he decided to watch the Discovery Channel’s program on biology to unwind. After Roger finished watching his show, he left his expensive home movie theater and went apple picking. There, he saw a little boy obsessing over his toy tractor, which said “Heat: the hottest toys for the most //in// boys.” Then he hurried back to the Café, and hurried in, mysteriously wearing a turban. Then the customers turned to Roger and looked at him like he had a cannon pointed at their faces. “ The Frozen Café is changing, it will now be called “The Melted Café” He declared. “ All of the hamburgers and hotdogs will be cooked so hot and thoroughly that they will melt, along with the tables, map, chairs, and even you!”