True Stories Writers Celebration
students’ stories, published as real books!
“I saw that they were good. But so was my team.”
The two short sentences give readers a taste of the excitement ahead in “The John Jay vs Greenburgh Soccer Game.” It is one of the true stories written by Meadow Pond Elementary’s third graders and shared at an all-grade Writers Celebration.
The gathering was an opportunity to share their books with other students, practice good listening, and, most of all, celebrate their progress as writers. It was extra exciting because each true story was bound in hardcover and included an About the Author page and a summary on the back.
Mrs. Merritt's Class Show Their books
Reflecting on what they learned
Just before the celebration began, teacher Connie Merritt asked her students, “What have we learned about the moves that writers make?”
She nodded when one of the students mentioned the importance of starting with a hook, a sentence that catches the reader’s attention.
Most important, the students agreed, was that writers need to be excited about their topic. They certainly were. Julia loves salamanders, Palma has a favorite sleepover story and Buddy is brimming with memories about riding a rollercoaster.
A book share
all students had an opportunity to read their book aloud
Small groups gave all students an opportunity to read their book aloud. Teachers including Ann Marie Friscia, Beth Morgan and Ellen Choolfaian took turns visiting several groups. Mrs. Merritt asked her circle of students to start with an “eyeball share”—they put all of the books down and looked at the covers. Each was illustrated and included the book’s title and the author’s name.
From “The Chicken That Changed My Life” and “The Day I Got My Fish” to “Going to Legoland,” the students’ personal narratives shared a sequence of events with descriptive detail and a beginning, middle and end.
The celebration continued when students brought their books home that evening. Who knows … they might even be a surprise holiday gift for their families!
