Winter Trimester, 2001

Dear Parents,

During this language arts rotation students will be working on completing a composition to share with their classmates, on a personal experience. This may be a retelling and sharing of any true personal experience they have had in their lives. The incident or event they choose to write about should be one that elicited a strong emotional response. This can be an incident that makes them feel happy or sad, angry, embarrassed, uncomfortable, scared, regretful, proud, etc. Any or all of these feelings should be a part of the story they want to tell.

They will be using some of the skills we learned last quarter in brainstorming, organizing, expanding their writing with details of observations and reflection, and revising and editing. You can help us at home by spending some time with your child to brainstorm and discuss an interesting experience for them to focus on and write about for the next three weeks. They may need some help to remember some things that happened, and to fill in other details that they may not have been aware of at the time, but would be useful in the story as they reflect upon the event. They can also be encouraged to take some artistic liberties to embellish their storytelling to make the story more interesting to another reader.

Students will be expected to publish their final project in two ways to fulfill this writing workshop by the end of the three-week period. They will be expected to submit a final copy of their composition, and also publish a picture book, which will feature their illustrations. Although it is not at all necessary, if students have photos they can use with their illustrations we would certainly appreciate them. Because we would like everyone to complete his or her final projects, some of this work may also be sent home to do.

Students will also be reading and sharing literature, which support this writing exercise this trimester. These pieces will include other writers describing their own personal events. Please encourage your child to read rich pieces of writing during their home reading time and select good literature from the library. If you also have suggestions or pieces that we might share at school, please feel free to send them in with your child.

Thank you for your enthusiasm and support,

Gingerlily Lowe