CCS is sponsoring a Mock StudySync Media Contest in the month of February so that your students can practice for the national StudySync Media Contest (detailed in the StudySync Section of the Newsletter). The Deadline to Enter the CCS Mock StudySync Media Contest is February 28th. After doing the in-house Mock StudySync Media Contest, students will be primed to create something original for StudySync's Media Contest, which has a May deadline. Since this MOCK contest is brief, each student should only send in an entry for one of the three categories. SEE THE FULL DETAILS AND ENTRY INFORMATION FOR THE MOCK STUDYSYNC MEDIA CONTEST HERE.

OCTELA CONFERENCE WILL BE IN-PERSON THIS YEAR!

OCTELA 2023 will be held on February 24 and 25, 2023 at DoubleTree Hotel Columbus-Worthington. Register HERE! Featured Speakers | FAQ

You can register after February 10, but you will be assessed a $25 late fee. ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 @ Noon! Any registrations after this date will need to be processed at the registration table on the conference day(s). They cannot guarantee lunch for any late registrations.

• Course #56848 English 6-12, March 8, 2023 PD Day: Strategies, Texts, and Pedagogy

This will be a very special PD Day because CCS Teachers will be leading most of the sessions. Come and learn some before reading, during reading, and after reading strategies for the English 6-12 classroom that lead to standard mastery and address components of the CCS Literacy Plan. Spend some time exploring the newest literary releases that could be used in the classroom with the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Get your colleagues' perspectives on two newer pedagogical books as they highlight their contents. If you have a burning question about StudySync or Canvas, you will have a chance to chat with an expert. Also, there will be giveaways and raffles!

GET YOUR COSTUMES READY!! The Department of Communications Wants to Record Your Students Bringing Literature to Life for our CCS Channels!

Are your students rewriting and acting out scenes? Will you be acting out part of a drama with costumes? Do you have a special dress-like- a-character day for works of literature? If so, use this link https://tinyurl.com/Lit2Life to contact Christopher Croft in Communications to have your students recorded for social and broadcast media.

The best and worst couples in Shakespeare's plays

• Who are Shakespeare’s best and worst couples are and what we can learn about love from their relationships: Read the Blog Post.

Margo Hendricks on race, Shakespeare, and romance

• Margo Hendricks discusses her experiences studying race and Shakespeare, writing and reading romance novels, and what’s next for Shakespeare studies. Listen to the Episode

"The first Shakespeare geek"

• The original owner of a tiny 17th-century notebook filled with hundreds of Shakespeare quotations is being dubbed "the first Shakespeare geek." Read in The Guardian

A Tudor pendant

• Read about the discovery of a 500-year-old heart-shaped gold pendant, connected to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Read in The NY Times

Birds of Shakespeare

• Artist Missy Dunaway paints the turtle dove, a symbol of love that appears in Shakespeare’s romances, tragedies, and comedies. Read the Blog Post

SEE THIS SHEET TO REGISTER FOR ANY OF THE UPCOMING PDS for ACHIEVE3000.

Wednesday, February 22 3:45-4:15PM Teachers and Instructional Staff

Learning Outcomes

▪ Exploring teacher materials and resources that aid in purposeful instructional planning

▪ Exploring student toolbars and features which aid in close reading

Tuesday, February 28 2:45-3:15PM Teachers and Instructional Staff

Learning Outcomes

▪ Exploring teacher materials and resources that aid in purposeful instructional planning

▪ Exploring student toolbars and features which aid in close reading

Learn about using the Teacher Data Center to monitor student progress HERE.

▪ How can I use the Teacher Data Center to monitor student progress?

▪ How can I best support my students with using the scaffolds and supports available within Achieve3000?

Here is a toolkit to prepare you and your classes to be part of the National African American Read-In (AARI): African American Read-In Toolkit - National Council of Teachers of English - NCTE. Join in on the African American Read-In by following these three steps:

1. Select Readings: Choose books, speeches, or poems written by African Americans.
   
2. Plan and Host Your Event: Read-Ins can happen anywhere from homes to libraries to schools to community centers and beyond, and they can be as simple as bringing together friends to share a book or as elaborate as arranging public readings and media presentations.
   
3. Submit a Host Report Card: Host Reports Cards are used to track the total number of readers and events nationwide each year. This information is compiled in an annual report card. Submit your report card online by March 15, 2023.

Think about doing a Read-In in each class, at the building level, or even invite parents/community members to participate. Have fun celebrating African American authors. StudySync contains over 200 texts by African American authors and you can do a quick library search using the filter feature to find them.

Words, Words, Words, the Folger Shakespeare Library Book Club, is pleased to announce the next book discussion – A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein on Thursday, March 2 at 6:30pm (ET). Participation is free. Click here (register for the discussion) to reserve your spot.

All discussions will be held in Zoom and discussion questions, supplemental materials, and suggestions for sips and snacks will be shared in advance. A Tip for the Hangman is an Elizabethan espionage thriller in which playwright Christopher Marlowe spies on Mary, Queen of Scots while navigating the perils of politics, theater, romance—and murder. Pairing modern language with period detail, Allison Epstein brings Elizabeth's lavish court, Marlowe's colorful theater troupe, and the squalor of sixteenth-century London to vivid, teeming life. At the center of the action is Kit himself—an irrepressible, irreverent force of nature.

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy: This journal offers you actionable ideas for instructing older learners and reflects on current literacy trends and issues. Browse an issue for free.

Reading Research Quarterly: In this journal, you'll read the latest research in global, multidisciplinary scholarship on literacy among learners of all ages. Browse an issue for free.

• We ❤️ Reading! Win 8 Valentine's Day Books for Your Classroom! Win books
• Win a Classroom Recording Bundle Enter for your chance to win an awesome bundle including tripods and microphones. Win recording bundle
• Black History Month Facts for Students Check out this awesome list of facts to share with your class this month. Get facts
• Punny Valentine’s Day Jokes Spread love and laughter this Valentine's Day with jokes! Get jokes

• 3/14: Jennifer Egan—The Candy House

• 3/28: David Wright Faladé—Black Cloud Rising

• 4/12: Dr. Genevieve West—You Don't Know Us Negroes and Other Essays

• 4/25: Laurie Notaro—Excuse Me While I Disappear
• 5/3 Alexandra Petri—U.S. History: Important American Documents (I Made Up)

• 5/23: Mia Mercado—She's Nice Though
  

Register for any of these author events here.

It’s time to start planning for StudySync’s 10th Annual Media Contest. Students can express their creativity, collaborate with peers, and strengthen their writing, speaking and listening, and presentation skills. Contest entries also make great stations. Give students voice and choice with station rotations that allow them to draft original StudySyncTV scripts, record podcasts or videos, draw book posters or create their own graphic novels. Search ‘contest’ in the Help Center to find contest best practices and steps to get started. All entries must include only original artwork, content, or audio. Entries are due on or before May 1st, 2023. See rules for details. Have questions about the contest or entries? Contact MySyncTV@studysync.com. See some specifics below.

SOME SPECIFICS

To enter, students can record and submit their own StudySyncTV video, podcast episode, preview video, concept definition video, novel poster, short graphic novel, or DailySync lesson about their favorite book outside the StudySync library. The grand prize for the top entry will be a $500 Amazon gift card (awarded to the submitting teacher) for classroom materials and a classroom Zoom chat with StudySync CEO Robert Romano. $100 Amazon gift card prizes are also awarded to the submitting teacher for top middle and high school entries in each category listed below! Teachers have until May 1st, 2023, to send in submissions on behalf of their students, along with parent/guardian permission, and submit via this Google form. Winners will be notified via email by Monday, May 15th. Check out our tips from the experts that bring you StudySync! Look here for submission details and email any questions to MySyncTV@studysync.com.

CONTEST CATEGORIES AND DETAILS:

StudySyncTV

Student-created StudySyncTV episodes are the “most popular” of our annual contest. Students can collaborate to produce a 5-minute-or-less StudySyncTV-style or SkillsTV-style episode for any text or skill in the StudySync Library that currently does not include a video. Students should use only original images, artwork, music, and content and check the StudySync Library to ensure their choice does NOT already have a StudySyncTV video.

Podcast

Develop and record an original podcast about any text in the StudySync Library. Students can offer their perspectives on a theme or pertinent topic surrounding the text. Have your students listen to the podcasts embedded in some of our Blasts for inspiration, or even have them listen to one of their choice from Apple or Spotify! Have students take notes about what makes a good podcast to help them plan and script their own. Students should use only original images, artwork, music, and/or content.

Preview Video

Produce a video mirroring the Preview videos in StudySync's Intro tab of a text. Students can highlight details about the title’s time period and theme. Please select a novel or text in the StudySync Library that does NOT currently have a Preview video or choose a favorite novel that is not yet in the StudySync Library and develop an audio-visual representation of what is typically found on a book's jacket. Create an introduction that entices fellow students to read the selection. Students should use only original images, artwork, music, and content.

Concept Definition Video

Produce a video mirroring the Concept Definition or SkillsTV videos! While it is ok to submit a concept definition that is already in the StudySync program, please advise students to rewrite their own script and new conversation between students. Students should use only original images, artwork, music, and content. To get started, download a Concept Definition sample script!

Novel Poster

Students develop a digital poster image from an original photo, digital image, or artwork as a backdrop clearly identifying the author and title of the book, for one of their favorite titles NOT already in the StudySync Library. Students should use only original images, artwork, and content.

Graphic Novel

Let your writing shine! Students can create a graphic novel based on a favorite title of theirs that isn’t part of the StudySync Library. Text and imagery should be original and concise as well as 10 pages or less in length. Students' words should be their own! Students should use only original images, artwork, and content.

Daily Sync

Learn, create, and connect with your own Daily Sync lesson! Imagine you're a teacher preparing a lesson for your students using a favorite title NOT already in the StudySync Library. Students should use only original images, artwork, music, and/or content.

TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED

• If you’re considering having students enter the contest, take a look at last year’s winners to get an idea of what they will need to produce.
• Assign the MyStudySyncTV Unit using the Contests filter in the Units tab within the StudySync Library. The MyStudySyncTV Unit engages students in the reading, writing, speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills that are necessary to develop a multimedia project. Completion of the MyStudySyncTV Unit or assignments are NOT required to enter the contest.
• Have students watch several StudySync® TV, SkillsTV, and Preview videos in the Library to provide students with a framework for the project. Also, using the Blasts filter feature, locate podcasts in the Blasts Library by selecting Blasts with ‘audio’ to provide a model for podcast entries.

PARENT/GUARDIAN PERMISSIONS

Teachers should utilize their own school-approved permission form to get permission from parents and/or guardians for students to participate and their names/likeness/audio/video or visual content to be shared on StudySync’s social media platforms and blog. Permission forms should be submitted to StudySync along with submissions.

Specific details are outlined in our contest eligibility and entry guidelines (“contest rules”) section below. Oftentimes teachers will include the link to this blog with their permission forms to help educate parents on the contest rules and requirements.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Submissions are limited to five (5) entries per category per teacher. Consider having students peer review videos, podcasts, and posters to select the five (5) per category to be submitted. A parent or guardian permission slip must be included for each student participating. Submit each entry via this Google form by 5pm PST on May 1st, 2023. Email any questions to MySyncTV@studysync.com.

-Here is the PAGE FOR ALL UPCOMING STUDYSYNC WEBINAR DATES.

Below are the StudySync webinar offerings for the month. If you register and cannot attend, you will be sent a recording. StudySync is the core Tier 1 Resources for Secondary English. The CORE ELA Units are used in English 6-12. Items from the StudySync Library are used in all alternative English courses (Humanities Language Arts 8, Humanities English 9 & 10, African American Literature, Major British Writers Seminar, Shakespeare's Literature, and Women's Literature) and many of the elective courses (e.g., Essay Writing 6, 7, and 8).

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

• StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Basic Training: How to Navigate Your New StudySync Account Register Now
• StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Spark Collaborative Conversations using StudySync Register Now

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

• StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Basic Training: The Reading Routine - Reading & Rigor in StudySync Register Now

Thursday, February 2, 2023

• StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM ESTBasic Training: Create and Grade Assignments Register Now

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

• StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM ESTCustomize and Create Assessments to Fit Your Classroom Needs Register Now

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

• StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM How to Create Reports and Respond to Data in StudySync Register Now

Thursday, February 9, 2023

• 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Holiday: Valentine's Day Poetry Register Now

Monday, February 13, 2023

• StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Differentiate for All Learners: Tools and Strategies for Students with IEPs Register Now

Thursday, February 16, 2023

• StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Spotlight Skills: Build a Solid Foundation in Any Standard Register Now

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

• StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Customize Assignments for Personalized Learning Register Now

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

• StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Word Study Lessons Register Now

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

• StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Explore the Power of WritePrecise Register Now

The video above gives you an overview for Secondary English Curriculum. Use the Quick Links on the landing page of the ELA 6-12 Webpage for easy navigation to English Curriculum items (Curriculum/Instructional Resources 6-8 Quick Link; Curriculum/Instructional Resources 9-12 Quick Link). To access many curricular and district items, you must be logged into Google using your CCS credentials and not a personal account.

Curriculum Maps & Folders:

• Middle School Curriculum Google Doc
• High School Curriculum Google Doc

Adopted Curriculum Resources:

You can see all courses with core resources for English 6-12 in the items linked below:

• Course Resource Spreadsheet with Visuals and
• CCS Adopted, Supplemental, and Intervention Resources List.

The TIER 1 Instructional Resources

• StudySync: English 6-12, Alternate English courses, and some Electives
• StudySync Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
• Bedford Texts/Launchpad: Honors and AP English
• Bedford/Launchpad Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
• Some Elective Courses will have single resource adoptions.

• Achieve3000 (6-9) The contact person for this resource is Sonja Dill.
• Achieve3000 Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
  
• Progress to Success (9-12) You can request copies by emailing Carla Mae Phillips.
• Core Enrichment (6-8) This course can be used for Tiers II/III Intervention.
• College/Career Ready Literacy (6-12) This course can be used for Tiers II/III Intervention.

• TeachingBooks is the where the lists of novels available for teacher use from the warehouse, the curriculum office, in StudySync, and in Course Folders, are found.
• TeachingBooks Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)

Secondary Literacy Plan

• The CCS Secondary Literacy Plan provides teaching strategies/PD (how to teach) that can be used with the texts/lessons from your adopted resources (what to teach) to address these components of the plan: Academic Language, Reading Comprehension, Writing Competency, and Classroom Discussion. It is rooted in Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement and guided by the Adolescent Simple View of Reading. The plan spans from intermediate literacy that crosses curricular areas to disciplinary literacy that reflects the demands of specific disciplines while allowing for individualized intensive interventions, as needed. Inherent in the plan is that students are reading, writing, and discussing every day in classrooms.
• CCS Secondary Literacy Plan Info Page

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JANUARY 17TH PD DAY

• Secondary English PD Page Recordings

NEW TEACHERS: If you are new to teaching a secondary English course and did not attend the new teacher orientation sessions, here are some links for you to the items you may have missed.

• New Teacher Orientation Folder (Secondary English)
• Recording: Getting to Know Your Secondary English Resources
• Recording: StudySync for New Users

• English 6-12 Tiered Resources Crosswalk for I-Ready Domain Results

Ohio Teacher of the Year nominations are open.More than an award, the Ohio Teacher of the Year program offers a way to elevate the teaching profession. The nomination period for the 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year is open through March 31.

Celebrate Ohio’s exceptional educators. Nominate an educator in your community today! Ohio’s educators make a difference in their students’ lives every day. From classroom teachers to paraeducators, professors, bus drivers, school secretaries, custodians, and more, Ohio’s public school employees have dedicated their lives to serving our kids and making our schools great.m Join the Ohio Education Association in recognizing our Education Champions across the state. Use this Nomination Form to nominate a special educator.

Taking place on February 18 and 19, the second 1619 Education Conference will offer participants the opportunity to learn from The 1619 Project Education Network members about the units they created and implemented as part of the program, the strategies and resources they found most helpful, and their key takeaways from their experience connecting the project to their students. The conference will also allow attendees to view the creative ways some Afterschool Program Partners explored The 1619 Project with students in outside-of-school programs and participate in learning workshops with project resources.The Pulitzer Center’s 1619 Materials Collection and 1619 Education Programs and Initiatives have inspired hundreds of educators across the U.S. to engage their students with the themes of The 1619 Project, and to connect with a community of educators committed to helping students better understand the role of Black people in shaping American society and the legacies of slavery that still exist today. LEARN MORE HERE. REGISTER HERE FOR THE 1619 EDUCATION CONFERENCE.

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PD OFFERINGS

The Ohio Department of Education added three new literacy-focused courses to Ohio’s Learning Management System. These courses take 5-8 hours to complete. Participants can receive a certificate for contact hours for completing the courses. The courses include:

• Leading Adolescent Literacy: This course provides an overview of the importance of building leadership to ensure an effective approach to adolescent literacy. It also provides an overview of the core components of adolescent literacy. The target audience includes building and district leaders along with those leading literacy initiatives such as coaches and curriculum directors.
• Peer Coaching for Literacy: This course guides participants to develop a peer coaching model at their buildings or districts that supports effective literacy instruction and continuous instructional improvement. The target audience includes building and district leaders, coaches, teacher leaders and anyone else who is interested in developing or improving a peer coaching program.
• Instructional Coaching for Literacy: This course covers the key strategies, knowledge and skills that highly effective literacy coaches need to support educators in their buildings or districts. The target audience includes current coaches, building leaders, teacher leaders and anyone who is interested in supporting educators to improve their practice.

Educators interested in taking these courses can find information about accessing the Learning Management System and courses on the Department’s LMS page. Send questions to LMSsupport@education.Ohio.gov.

CORWIN PD

Free Opportunities (Check out the entire FREE Corwin Spring 2023 Webinar Lineup HERE.)

-What Students Need from Us to Fight Fake News Monday, February 13, 2023 - 6:30pm

In this webinar we will discuss the imperative of teaching today’s students critical thinking and online reading skills to combat fake news/information pollution. We’ll explore why this is an ever-increasing problem, how it is affecting today’s students, and provide strategies that can be used with the content you already teach. REGISTER NOW. Free.

-The Will to Learn Monday, February 27, 2023 - 6:30pm
How do we help all of our students do the work of learning, with care — as best they currently can? For students to flourish long-term and move toward mastery, they need to be motivated from the inside-out. Specifically, they need to believe five key things – Credibility, Value, Belonging, Effort, and Efficacy. REGISTER NOW. Free.

-Teaching Vocabulary Monday, March 13, 2023 - 6:30pm
Presented by Doug Fisher / Nancy Frey. This webinar will cover the latest research and best practices for effective vocabulary instruction in K-12 classrooms. REGISTER NOW. Free.

Paid Opportunities

-Virtual Visible Learning+ Institute: Developing Assessment-Capable Learners

March 23, 2023 Register Now

Choose from two upcoming virtual options Visible Learning+ institute focused on developing assessment-capable learners. Participants will learn how to develop a plan to create conditions to accelerate student learning in the classroom, build collective efficacy among colleagues and students, and be able to evaluate your own impact on student learning. Each registration includes the Developing Assessment-Capable Visible Learners eBook! ($199 for either institute.)

-Virtual Success Criteria Playbook Institute (February 21) and engage with our presenters and your fellow attendees in an active and empowering learning experience that will enhance your understanding of how to create success criteria that can:

• Provide a path for learners to meet our learning expectations
• Allow learners to self-reflect, self-monitor, and self-evaluate their learning progress
• Help learners answer the question, “How will I know that I have learned it?”
• Help teachers answer the question, “How will I know that they have learned it?”

Sign me up!

-2023 Teacher Clarity Playbook Conference February 27-28, 2023

Teacher clarity is both a method and a mindset, and it has an impressive effect size of 0.84. The concept is not new; it’s just yet to be implemented in ways that ensure students know what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will know that they have learned. Without clarity in learning, students’ ability to drive their learning (or take responsibility for their learning) is compromised. Join us as we take teacher clarity to the next level.

-Teacher Clarity Playbook Certification Join Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Toni Faddis, Olivia Amador-Valerio, and Sarah Ortega for a two-day event (March 1-2 in San Diego) jampacked with all the information you'll need to support teachers to increase their clarity in the classroom through learning intentions and success criteria. Attendees of The Teacher Clarity Playbook Certification will walk away with:

• A copy of The Teacher Clarity Playbook
• Editable PPTs and videos created exclusively for certified trainers
• Access to the Teacher Clarity Playbook certified trainer portal, housing all the resources you need to deliver effective Teacher Clarity Playbook trainings in your school system
• An invitation to monthly webinars with Corwin Certified Trainers
• Free registration to the Teacher Clarity Playbook Pre-Con at the Annual Visible Learning Conference on July 10th in Orlando, FL*
  

*Travel and room not included. $350 value Sign me up!

-Virtual How Learning Works Institute March 8, 2023

Over the past twenty years, the science of learning has provided many insights into how learning works. This body of research provides well established principles and practices that when translated into classroom practices, have the potential to enhance and accelerate student learning. This How Learning Works Institute provides an easily accessible look at the process for translating research about how learning works into classroom practices that enhance and accelerate your students’ learning.

UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS

• COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY Sesquicentennial Author Series The Columbus Metropolitan Library Carnegie Author Series has a new name for 2023, celebrating Columbus Metropolitan Library’s 150 years of bringing joy to readers. It is the Sesquicentennial Author Series. Here are some of the authors visiting in 2023: Leonard S. Marcus, Donte Woods-Spikes, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Saeed Jones, and Jason Mott. Check out the lineup HERE.

Tuesday, February 7th, 7:00pm

• A Civil Rights Conversation: Novelist Jamila Minnicks & Dr. Hasan Jeffries! Jamila Minnicks, recipient of the 2021 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, will be in conversation with noted Ohio State University civil rights scholar Hasan Jeffries to discuss Minnicks’s debut novel, Moonrise Over New Jessup, a thought-provoking and enchanting debut about a Black woman doing whatever it takes to protect all she loves at the beginning of the civil rights movement in Alabama. Minnicks’s novel is both a celebration of Black joy and a timely examination of the opposing viewpoints that attended desegregation in America. Registration is on Eventbrite. The purchase of Moonrise Over New Jessup waives the $5 admission fee. Get Tickets!

Thursday, February 16th, 6:30pm *Held at Bexley Public Library and online*

• Bexley Public Library Celebrates the Incomparable Toni Morrison! Celebrate Toni Morrison with two of Ohio’s most revered poets and authors as Hanif Abdurraqib and Dionne Custer Edwards discuss the influences of Toni Morrison’s work on their own and celebrate the importance of her legacy as writers and Ohioans. REGISTER ONLINE

Tuesday, February 28th, 7:00pm

• Join acclaimed singer songwriters Parker MacDonell and Keith Larsen as they unpack Bob Dylan’s extraordinary compilation of essays, The Philosophy of Modern Song, a collection of essays that offer Dylan’s extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music. This will be an evening of both story and song not to be missed, as MacDonell and Larsen discuss and perform songs from this collection. REGISTER ONLINE

SOMETHING NEW THIS SUMMER: COLUMBUS BOOK FESTIVAL

The Columbus Book Festival will happen July 15-16 in the heart of the city’s downtown Discovery District. The two-day event featuring national and local authors, exhibitors, entertainment and more will showcase Columbus Metropolitan Library’s historic Main Library, the adjacent Kaufman Plaza and Topiary Garden Park. Call for authors, exhibitors and entertainers is now open! Get Involved/Learn More; About the Event Here.

GIVEAWAYS

• TeachingBooks February Contests & Giveaways
• Bulk Bookstore Discounts & Contests (People really do win: I won a $150 shopping spree from the November drawing:)
• We Are Teachers Contests & Giveaways

General Information

It's never too early to begin forming your CCS Poetry Slam teams. This year, there will be a chance to attend two field trips to Spruce Run with your team (December 8 and February 28) to prepare for the District Slam which will happen on April 29th at Eastmoor Academy (5-9pm). Think about having some school slams to form your team and/or having writing gatherings for interested students.

• SLAM INFO/REGISTRATION

• $25 registration fee

• MS (8 poets), 4 slots: individual or group (2 to 6)

• HS (6 poets), 4 slots: individual

• HS Group poem round optional (up to 6 poets)

• Spruce Run Field Trip

• February 28 REGISTER HERE by 2/15!!

• Slam Happens April 29th (5-9pm) $5 admission

• Poetry Slam 2023 Flier

February Field Trip Information

• February 28 REGISTER HERE by 2/15!!

POETRY SLAM February Field Trip Information

• February 28 REGISTER HERE by 2/15!!

Note: Remember to have students bring their own lunch or arrange with your building to have boxed lunches. You can use THIS FORM as a permission slip.

High School students can be Buckeyes this summer. Applications are open for The Ohio State University’s new Buckeye Precollege Summer Institutes. Open to current 9th, 10th and 11th graders, Buckeye Precollege Summer Institutes offer students the opportunity to participate in an academic program designed to give them a taste of college life and prepare them for the road ahead. Buckeye Precollege Summer Institutes will offer two sessions, each lasting two weeks: June 5 - 16 and June 19 - 30. The summer 2023 course offerings cover a range of topics, from philosophy to quantum mechanics, creative nonfiction writing to bioscience, and more. Participants will be selected through a competitive application process and placed in a course that best fits their interests and academic readiness. The application deadline is March 1, 2023.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after March 15 while seats are available. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available, and applicants seeking need-based scholarships are encouraged to apply early, as funds will be awarded on a rolling basis. CHECK OUT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUCKEYE PRECOLLEGE PROGRAM AND HOW TO APPLY HERE.

The 2023 Writing Competition is open. The deadline to submit is March 31, 2023 (11:59pm CDT)

• SEJONG WRITING COMPETITION PAGE
• Sijo Poetry Competition Specifics
• Essay Competition Specifics
• Application Page

Sijo category

The sijo is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form organized technically and thematically by line and syllable count. Using the sijo form, write one poem in English on a topic of your choice. For examples of sijo, more information, and teaching materials – including teaching guides for sijo, please visit this website.

The goal of our sijo category is to introduce students to a lesser-known style of poetry, the traditional Korean sijo. Read about how to write sijo, or see last year's winning entries.

Adult division (age 19 & older)
Pre-college division (age 18 & younger)

Sijo Category Prizes:

• Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500)
• Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300)
• Honorable mention (for both divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each)

Essay category

Focusing on introducing students and young adults to Korean culture and history through literature, this essay category utilizes folk tales and contemporary literature to explore Korean culture, past and present.

Adult division (age 19-30 years): Contestants are to read Kim Jung-hyuk's short story “The Glass Shield” and write an essay in response to the provided prompt.

Snior division (grade 9th - 12th): Contestants are to read Ha Seong-nan's short story “Waxen Wings ” and write an essay in response to the provided prompt.

Junior division (grade 8th and younger): Contestants are to write an essay in response to one of two provided prompts regarding a folktale of the contestant's choice. Contestants must choose one of the stories listed on this folktales page.

Essay Category Prizes:

• Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500)
• Senior division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300)
• Junior division: First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100)
• Honorable mention (for all divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each)

Mission: The goals of the Sejong Writing Competition are to discover children and young adults talented in writing and to encourage them to learn and write about Korean and its culture. Through this writing competition we hope to increase the awareness and understanding of Korea’s cultural heritage amongst the younger generations growing up in the United States. Note: Only one entry per category per applicant is permitted.

New year, new classes, still awesome! Join Thurber House for four, fun-filled Saturdays of Writing Wizards at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215). No matter the class, students will be challenged to create outside the box, use their imagination, and expand their horizons. Check out our classes below! The registration deadline is Saturday, February 18, 2023. CLICK TO REGISTER for one or both sets of classes for middle schoolers.

6th/7th/8th Grade Workshops

The Mystery Machine

Saturdays: February 25, March 4, March 11, March 18; 9:30 am-11:30 am
Do you love a good mystery? In this class, you’ll figure out how to create a great detective story from suspicious suspects to puzzling crime scenes to red herrings. You just might need to put those skills to the test to solve an actual mystery, too. Dun dun duuuun.
Teachers: Fredrich Yeager and Katherine Matthews; Tuition (includes all four classes): $120

It's a Long Story
Saturdays: February 25, March 4, March 11, March 18; 12:30 pm-2:30 pm
Whether you’ve already got an idea or need ideas, you will be building worlds, fleshing out characters, and solidifying story arcs for your very own book series. You will leave with the start of your first book and all the tools to keep going for as many books as you want.
Teacher: Kristin Kummer; Tuition (includes all four classes): $120

"DON'T GET IT RIGHT, JUST GET IT WRITTEN." - JAMES THURBER

Every other week, local teens gather to write, create, and explore ways to get their stories on paper. Whether it's a passion, or just a hobby, Thurber House invites any student in grades 9-12 to join them for an opportunity to spend time with others who also like to write. Sessions take place on select Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 pm Eastern Time. Young Writers' Studio is held at Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Ave, and simultaneously Zoomed for virtual participants. Each session is $17, or $150 for the season (a savings of $20), and can be paid in advance by registering online. There are a limited number of scholarships available for students who would like to attend. All sessions will be hybrid—held in-person at Thurber Center and simultaneously Zoomed for virtual participants from 6:30–8:30 pm. REGISTER

Dates: February 7, February 21, March 7, March 21, April 4, April 18, May 2, May 16

Spread the word: The application is open for the Princeton Summer Journalism Program! The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) offers a year-long, tuition-free college counseling program for high-achieving high school juniors from low-income backgrounds who are interested in journalism. For the summer of 2023, participants will enjoy a multi-week summer journalism intensive, which will end with 10 fully-funded days at Princeton University. Students learn about inquiry and truth in reporting through workshops taught by Princeton University professors and professional journalists. The summer institute culminates in the publication of the student-produced newspaper, The Princeton Summer Journal. Students apply through three rounds of consideration during their junior year and begin participation the following summer. During their senior year, students work closely with a volunteer college counselor to complete the college admissions process.

Covers all programmatic costs, including housing, travel, meals, and supplies.

The application is now open and will be due Monday, Feb 27, 2023. Please do spread the word to students and educators in the meantime. You can register for a public information session, attend an educator's "coffee hour", request a virtual school visit, or refer a student via this website. Refer a student HERE!

• Personalized College Counseling PSJP participants work directly with a professional journalist or program alum to complete their college applications. Check out our Outcomes page to see some of the colleges to which alumini have matriculated.
• Dynamic Activities During the summer intensive, students tour news outlets, report and write stories for our student newspaper, and hold a press conference, among other activities. Review sample schedules online.

Prompts are now available for the 2023 Achievement Awards in Writing and Promising Young Writers contests! NCTE encourages educators to share information on these school-based writing awards across the middle and secondary levels. The 2023 contests feature key changes to contest guidelines, eligibility, and scoring designations. Details are available on each contest’s webpage, and a breakdown of the changes can be found here.

Here are key dates for the 2023 contests:

• November 2022: contest opens for submissions.
• February 15, 2023: submission window closes.
• May 2023: winners are announced.

Learn more about the Student Writing Awards today!