New Course--Advanced Institute

Having just finished taking this new course offered for Summer 2010 entitled, SWWP Advance Institute, I am excited to blog about its content and professors! With nine days packed with various activities and lessons, we explored several current famous authors and writing workshops with which we could incorporate strategies within our own classroom environments in the fall.

After undergoing my first SWWP in the summer of 2004, I discovered that I truly do have a desire to write and enjoy it in my spare time. I learned a few strategies that I incorporated within my fine-arts focused classroom and I discovered that my middle school age students really enjoyed when I varied my lessons with creative writing without losing the focus of the content unit and standards.

This second institute taught by Ms. Suzanne Koty and Ms. Lynette Creech has renewed my passion for writing and teaching its invaluable fundamentals within my own content area. Stephen King has always been a favorite author of mine and to be able to study his feelings concerning the professional writing process has been a true pleasure this summer. The in-depth study of the professional books and the unique writing workshops taught by Ms. Koty and Ms. Creech have given me a plethora of ideas to use in my own writing as well as within my classroom.

My love of writing has been renewed and I will truly miss the immediate sharing and positive feedback. My hat is off to these two instructors on a job well done with this new summer 2010 course and I hope for other TC's, who have not had the privilege to take it, that this Advance Institute will be the first of many to come!

-written by Janelle Saulsgiver

New Books Added into the Library

Here are some of the new books the National Writing Project sent us for our library:

Teacher of the Year

Spring 2010 Melissa Pollard, a Santee Wateree Writing Project Teacher Consultant, was voted Teacher of the Year at Furman Middle School!

Congratulations Melissa!!

New Books In Our Library

Check out the new titles that are in our library!!!

Writing a Life: Teaching Memoir to Sharpen Insight, Shape Meaning--and Triumph Over Tests.
by Katherine Bomer

Hidden Gems: Naming and Teaching From the Brilliance in Every Student's Writing
by Katherine Bomer

Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School
by Georgia Heard

No More "I'm Done!": Fostering Independent Writers in the Primary Grades
by Jennifer Jacobson

Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8
by Ralph Fletcher and Joann Portalupi

Teaching Adolescent Writers
by Kelly Gallagher

Talking, Drawing, and Writing: Lessons for Our Youngest Writers
by Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Giacobbe

About the Authors: Writing Workshop with our Youngest Writers
by Katie Wood Ray with Lisa B. Cleaveland

Engaging Young Writers: Preschool-Grade 1
by Matt Glover

Already Ready: Nurturing Writers in Preschool and Kindergarten
by Katie Wood Ray and Matt Glover

Lessons that Change Writers
by Nancie Atwell

We also have 3 of Sara Holbrook's books. Sara will be our guest speaker at the 2010 Summer Institute. Here are the following books we have of Sara's in our SWWP Library:

Wham! It's a Poetry Jam: Discovering Performance Poetry

Practical Poetry: A Nonstandard Approach to Meeting Content-Area Standards

Outspoken! How to Improve Writing and Speaking Skills Through Poetry Performance

Reading and Writing Mini Conference

On February 6, 2010, over 70 teachers, librarians, administrators and student teachers from Sumter School Districts 2, 17, University of South Carolina, and surrounding private schools gathered at Pocalla Springs Elementary to attend the first (possibly annual) reading and writing mini conference. The primary objective of the conference was to provide elementary school teachers with model lessons and/or strategies that can immediately be implemented in the classroom. Local teachers conducted breakout sessions that focused on research-based instructional strategies for building and strengthening reading-writing connections within specific genres.

Peggy Bing-O'banner was the keynote speaker. She engaged the teachers with a keynote about the essential elements and issues surrounding reading and writing connections.

With knowledge gained from the Reading and Writing Mini Conference, teachers are tasked with facilitating projects that will further engage students in meaningful writing activities and sharing their knowledge in professional development settings.
-Submitted by Ureka Hilton

National Writing Project Conference in Philadelphia

The National Writing Project Annual Meeting, held in Philadelphia, PA, November 18-21, 2009, offered seven members of the Santee Wateree Writing Project opportunities to engage in rich discussions with members of other writing projects from across the United States as well as time to reflect on our own progress and plans for our local site here in the Tri-County area. Our representatives attended various sessions devoted to timely topics such as the burgeoning uses of technology in the classroom, tapping into students’ creativity, clarifying copyright laws, organizing writing retreats, dealing with rural poverty, and building reflective practice. We also benefited from a visioning session with Tom Fox who helped us to clarify our present role and to cast a vision for what we would like our Santee Wateree Writing Project to do in the future. Some of us came home with satchels loaded down with protocols for looking at student work, ideas for diving into digital storytelling, possibilities for pod-casting, hopes for embedding professional development at our sites, as well as tons of ready-to-use materials to support our teaching of writing and to share with others.

In addition to the exposure to the hot topics about writing, the Santee Wateree contingency also had time—though somewhat limited—to enjoy the beauty and culture of Philadelphia itself. Visits to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Betsy Ross’s home, spectacular in their own rights, actually paled in comparison for some of us who basked in the warmth of a visit to Edgar Allan Poe’s home. A trip to the Reading Terminal Market brought memories of travels to some who have traveled far and wide and left those of us who are not cosmopolites taking it all in with our mouths agape.

The journey—into a land rich with history—reminded us all of the rich journey into which we can invite our students as we teach them the joy of writing, equipping them with strategies for success while providing them with opportunities to explore their own interests. Who knows? Perhaps we have our very own Poe right here among us now. Without our collaborative expertise, he could be in a classroom napping; napping instead of preparing himself to wow us one day with his writing for which we will be clapping, clapping. Celebrate with us as we seek to advance the cause of the Santee Wateree Writing Project as we implement some of the ideas we gathered at the National Writing Project Annual Meeting.

-Posted by Diane Champion

Santee Wateree Writing Project’s Fall Poetry Contest

During the month of October, students from Districts 2 and 17 submitted poetry to the Santee Wateree Writing Project’s Fall Poetry Contest. The contest was an initiative of the Santee Wateree Writing Project in cooperation with the University of South Carolina, Sumter School District 2 and Sumter School District 17. As a part of the poetry contest, students were placed into categories (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). Each student was able to submit a reflective piece of poetry that expressed their concerns, inspirations, hopes, dreams, passions, and fears. Students could write the poems in any format; however they were asked that the poem be reflective and less than 20 lines.

On November 5, 2009, over 50 people joined at the University of South Carolina to share in the celebration to honor the students. The following is a list of all of the poems that placed in the 2009 Santee Wateree Writing Project’s Fall Poetry Contest:

Grades K-2

My Worst Fear ~ Trinity Lucas (Pocalla Springs, 1^st Place) Mrs. Hicks

Baseball Player ~ Descere Summers (Pocalla Springs, 2^nd Place) Mrs. Hicks

Grades 3-5

The Lonely Road ~ Hunter Pritchard (Wilder Elementary, 1^st Place) Ms. Black

All About Me ~ Anitra Anderson (Rafting Creek, 2^nd Place) Mrs. Harrington

Here I Am ~ Tie Wan Frierson (Wilder Elementary, 3^rd Place) Ms. Black

Where I’m From ~ Kaitlyn Hodge (Pocalla Springs, 3^rd Place) Mrs. Hilton

Where I’m From ~ Gavin Rich (Pocalla Springs, 3^rd Place) Mrs. Hilton

Grades 6-8

My Spirit ~ Brandon Wilson (Mayewood Middle School, 1^st Place) Mrs. Edwards

The Fear Hidden Inside of Me ~ Zikera Glover (Mayewood Middle School, 2^nd Place) Mrs. Edwards

The Pain ~ Ricky Scott, Jr. (Mayewood Middle School, 3^rd Place) Mrs. Edwards

Grades 9-12

My World ~ Aaron Jefferson (Sumter High School, 2^nd Place) Ms. Creech

The Idyllic Field ~ Julia Dingle (Sumter High School, 1^st Place) Ms. Tesenair

A Cluttered Girl ~ Shavondria Carter (Sumter High School, 3^rd Place) Mrs. Champion

Love Me, You Give Me Strength ~ Taylor Hill (Sumter High School, 1^st Place) Mrs. Champion

We gratefully acknowledge these sponsors of the Fall Poetry Contest and Awards Ceremony Day:

Bi-Lo Grocery Store IGA Grocery Store Food Lion

JC Penny Red Lobster Office Church Supply

Fire House Subs Chili’s Golden Corral

Sonic’s Outback Steakhouse Applebee’s

Walden Book Store Shoney’s Ward’s Bar-b-Que

The Gift Shop

-Written by Ureka Hilton