Author Inspires SCMS 5th Grade Students

Fifth grade students at Stoneham Central Middle School were thrilled to meet and work with children’s fiction author Rob Buyea on December 15, 2022 during a school assembly and writing workshop sessions. Mr. Buyea is the author of Because of Mr. Terupt, which is a key novel in the 5th grade English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. Students listened to Mr. Buyea speak about his writing process, how he creates characters, how he revises his writing, and the importance of reading when you want to be a writer. Students then attended writing sessions with Mr. Buyea during their ELA classes where he provided additional insights and encouragement on a writing assignment. Many students left with autographed copies of Mr. Buyea’s books, and plans to read more books in the series. There has already been an increase in requests for Mr. Buyea’s books at the Stoneham Central Middle School library.

Students, families, and staff gave glowing reviews of Mr. Buyea’s presentation, sense of humor, and passion for reading and writing, and were very thankful for the opportunity to have him visit.
Fifth grade student Katherine reflected on the experience and said, “I just recently moved here and I’m already having the best time that I have ever had…thank you for that.” Another student, Aria, said, “It was the best! It was an honor to have him come to our school. We are very lucky and very grateful.” Students enjoyed Mr. Buyea’s stories, especially Helen who explained that she liked “learning about how to take memories and spice them up. He gave us many ideas to write about which was super helpful! It was an awesome experience!”

This opportunity was generously supported by the Stoneham Business and Community Educational Foundation (SBCEF), in partnership with Meld, Inc. and the National Coalition for Educational and Cultural Programs (NCECP). Special thanks go to the NCECP who funded the grant for Mr. Buyea’s visit.

Stoneham Central Middle School hopes to continue this relationship with Mr. Buyea and invite him back to meet with next year’s 5th grade classes.