Fourteen students in the Gifted and Talented program in the Allen County School District spent Martin Luther King Day in a Young Writers Camp organized by the Western Kentucky University Writing Project. The day-long camp---held at the Allen County Primary Center---gave the students a hands-on lesson in writing, research and presentation.
“Third, fourth, and fifth graders have been with us all day,” explained Writing Project Director Peggy Otto Monday afternoon. “They have made their own journals, decorated them, and done some writings. They have worked together on projects and put together presentations that they will do for their families this afternoon. We have tried to mix writing instruction with fun. We have also played games, we have fed them, and we have done some art. It’s been a great day. It’s been a joint effort with many different people.”
The Young Writers Camp is an annual event in which staff with the Western Kentucky University Project work with students to help them develop better writing skills. In past years, the camp has been held at Cherry Hall on the WKU campus. However, this year, the one-day camp was brought to the Allen County School District campus.
The camp was well received by the students.
“We were given an assignment to write two, three –point paragraphs either on Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr.,” explained fifth grader Veronica Walker. “So Olivia and I choose Rosa Parks. We are doing a PowerPoint and I’m writing the script for it.”
Her partner on the project noted that it had been a fun-filled day and an opportunity to learn more about something she enjoyed.
“I really enjoying today,” added fifth grader Olivia Penny. “I like to learn about history and its fun writing about it.”
Plano Elementary teachers Holly Kirk and Kim Henderson worked with fourth and fifth grade students. Bristow Elementary teacher Marna Chenault and retired teacher and Writing Project co-director Mollie Wade worked with the third graders. Allen County Primary Center reading interventionist and co-director for the WKU Writing Project Cindy McIntyre as well as Allen County Gifted and Talented Director Vicki Cooper assisted in the organization of the day’s event.