A Celebration of Writing at Warren Township Schools

WARREN, NJ — Fourth graders in Warren Township Schools have been showcasing the written word, sharing their works of realistic fiction at writing celebrations and publishing parties.

“Realistic fiction is our first unit of study,” says Central 4th grade writing teacher Laura Rodaman who, with fellow teacher Chelsea Christophel and literacy coach Marianne Larson, held a “writing celebration” for their students on Dec. 6.

“Our next unit will be opinion writing and then informational. After each unit, we celebrate our published pieces. The writing celebration gives students an opportunity to share a piece of writing that they are most proud of.”

Rodaman says having her students read their stories out loud to classmates and others allows them to hear the differing ways in which the young authors apply all of the strategies taught in class, including compelling leads, “show, don’t tell,” figurative language, dialogue and powerful closings.

“Students focus on following the writing process in an authentic way, as published authors would,” says Central principal Alison Tugya. “They learn strategies for generating ideas and drafting. Then they receive feedback from peers and dive back into their pieces to make them even better. The celebration is a culmination of weeks of work and successful publication. Students form a true writing community where they learn from each other, work side-by-side and celebrate their accomplishments together.”

Mt. Horeb 4th graders recently finished up their first writing unit and are working on a second while their counterparts at Angelo L. Tomaso School plan to read their realistic fiction to younger schoolmates.

“Our teachers have been working as hard as our students. They have been participating in intensive writing workshops since last year. Their students’ exceptional writing is a testament to their depth of knowledge as writing teachers,” says Curriculum Supervisor Stacey Hann-Modugno. “I am so proud of the work they are doing as they apply what they learn to the work they do with our students in Warren.”

At Woodland, the 4th grade students of Tiffany Serafin and Jamie Perry held a publishing party on Dec. 2.

“The students developed stories and characters that felt real by paying attention to moments/issues in their own lives,” says Serafin. “They used a story arc to help plan their ideas, drafted important scenes and revised and edited their pieces.

“Students spend a lot of time publishing a single story or essay,” Rodaman adds. “A writing celebration is the perfect way to end a unit of study.”

— By Mary Ann McGann, Warren Township Schools

(Photos via Warren Township Schools)

Photo 1: From left - Central School 4th graders Melody Chen, Trisha Atlanzar, Jake Arakelian, and Connor Dickerson celebrate the written word on Dec. 6, while sharing their works of realistic fiction.

Photo 2: From left - Grace Beard, Christopher Daniels, and Hanna Chee, 4th graders at Central School, read carefully crafted stories as part of a unit on realistic fiction.

Photo 3: Woodland 4th grader Cole Klein reads to classmates (L-R) Navya Venkatesh, Bethany Giegerich, Mia Rivera, and Jadon Prinzivalli at a Dec. 2 publishing party for their works of realistic fiction.

Photo 4: Woodland 4th graders Daniel Scali (L) and Yaneen Parikh share their works of realistic fiction at a publishing party on Dec. 2.

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