Secondary English Weekly #8

UPDATE: THE POETRY OUT LOUD TEACHER WORKSHOP IS NOW IN NOVEMBER AND ON ZOOM

The date has changed for the Poetry Out Loud High School Teacher Workshop and it has been moved online to Zoom to make it easier for more people to attend. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 6-7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join in on the Zoom to get more information. You do not have to have your high school registered to attend this informational meeting. You will get information about Poetry Out Loud and how to host the contest at your school. School winners go on to compete in regional/state/national competitions.

Poetry Out Loud Teacher Workshop Nov 2, 2022, 6-7pm
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82962473033?pwd=Y3VwL2ZZSTBnVWRuOG82NmpObWFYdz09
Meeting ID: 829 6247 3033; Passcode: 550383

Read more about the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest in the Student Contest and Opportunities section of this newsletter.

NATIONAL DAY ON WRITING

This Thursday, October 20th, the National Council of Teachers of English will celebrate the National Day on Writing®, engaging writers from all walks of life and encouraging their craft, from persuasive, narrative, expository, descriptive writing, and more! To help make the most of the National Day on Writing®, here’s a roadmap of all things leading up to and happening on Thursday, October 20, along with resources to help spark your writing process! Learn more.

Some Writing Events to Celebrate the National Day on Writing®:

NCTE STUDENT WRITING AWARDS Q & A: Tuesday, October 18th at 7pm Registration
NCTE CELEBRATION OF BLACK WRITERS: DISCUSSION WITH NATIONAL WRITING CONTEST WINNERS: Wednesday, October 19th at 4pm Registration
STUDENTS WRITE WITH STUART GIBBS: Thursday, October 20th at 1pm Registration

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: Midwest Region Writing Deadline is December 1

Students in Grades 7-12 (age 13 and up) can watch this video and see the steps below for how to enter the Scholastic Writing Awards. The Midwest Region deadline is December 1st. Visit HERE for more information.

1. CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT

Both students and educators can create an account using our online registration system. This is where you’ll find your school and enter your work.

2. UPLOAD YOUR BEST WORK

Don’t forget to seek feedback from educators, family, and friends and edit your work.

Be sure to select the category that best represents your work. VIEW CATEGORIES

3. SEND IN YOUR ENTRY FORM WITH YOUR ENTRY FEE OR A FEE WAIVER

Entry fees are $10 per individual entry and $30 per portfolio. If the entry fee is a barrier to your participation in the Awards, we will waive the fee when you submit a Fee Waiver Form.

The Scholastic Awards open for entries in September and deadlines vary between December and January, depending on your region. Curious about your region’s deadline? FIND YOUR REGION

Visit our online galleries to see works from past National Medalists. VISIT THE GALLERY

Ohioana Book Awards Ceremony

The 2022 Ohioana Book Award in fiction goes to Anthony Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land. With this novel, which Doerr dedicated to “the librarians then, now, and in the years to come,” he has won a record fifth Ohioana Book Award. A ceremony celebrating his win and all of the other 2022 categories winners will happen on October 26th at the Ohio Statehouse. While Tony is unable to join the live awards ceremony (he's now in Europe), he has recorded a wonderful video that will be shared at the awards ceremony. Ohioana will have signed copies of Cloud Cuckoo Land available at the awards. If you want to attend, make your reservation now for a night of fun and food celebrating Ohio literature. Here is a list of all of the winners:

Fiction: Anthony Doerr, Cloud Cuckoo Land

Nonfiction: Hanif Abdurraqib, A Little Devil in America

About Ohio or an Ohioan: Brian Alexander, The Hospital

Poetry: Felicia Zamora, I Always Carry My Bones

Middle Grade / Young Adult: Jasmine Warga, The Shape of Thunder

Juvenile Literature: Andrea Wang, Watercress

Reader's Choice: Manuel Iris, The Parting Present / Lo que se irá

Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant: Louise Ling Edwards

FROM the TEACHINGBOOKS blog

Author Kerry O'Malley Cerra wants you to be tired and frustrated when you read her middle grade novel Hear Me (Lerner, 2022). Learn why by Reading This Post.

To support your media and information literacy curriculum, TeachingBooks has curated a list of titles that help students understand how to evaluate the news, history, and other narratives for accuracy, opinion, and bias. Explore This Booklist.
In this Face-off, middle schoolers and Jennifer Nielsen answer questions about The False Prince. Can you get all the questions right? Watch This Video Face-off. Check out more #authorfanfaceoff videos HERE.

Monday October 17, 2022

StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM EDT SyncStart Your Engines: Week One with StudySync Register Now
Thurber House: Adult Writing Workshop | From Hook to Resolution: Writing a Short Story 6:00 PM 8:00 PM

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

ESC OF CENTRAL OHIO: Book Study Begins, Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Middle and High School ELA: Five to Thrive Register 4-5pm
Thurber House: Author Talk, Sloane Crosley, Cult Classic, 7-8pm

Wednesday October 19, 2022

StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT Basic Training: The Reading Routine - Reading & Rigor in StudySync Register Now
StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT Basic Training: Create and Grade Assignments Register Now
Gramercy Books: Author Visit, Silas House 7:00pm

Thursday, October 20, 2022 NCTE NATIONAL DAY ON WRITING

StudySync: Ask-An-Expert Session 3:15-3:45
Thurber House: Adult Writing Workshop | Go Rogue: Graphic Novel And Comics 6:00 PM 7:30 PM

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Columbus Metropolitan Library: Author Visit, 2 p.m. Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind, Register

NEW WORD STUDY LESSONS IN THE SKILLS LIBRARY

As you know, the Curriculum Maps recommend around 25 language lessons from StudySync per semester and let you know that you can find them in both the StudySync Library by filtering the Skills subtab for your Grade Level and "Language," and in the Workbooks (Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary) in your Course Folder. Now, in addition, StudySync has added WORD STUDY lessons to their library. To find them, simply click on the Library tab and the Skills subtab and search for "Word Study." These would also be items you could use throughout the semester for language lessons.

The video above gives you an overview for Secondary English Curriculum. You can always find specific information and help for each of the adopted curriculum resources in thE "Curriculum Resources" section of every Secondary English Weekly Newsletter.

The Tier I Instructional Resources are StudySync (English 6-12, Alternate English courses, and some Electives) and the Bedford Texts/Launchpad (Honors and AP English).
The Tier II/Tier III Intervention Resource is Achieve3000. The contact person for this resource is Sonja Dill.
The Supplemental Resource is TeachingBooks. (This is the where the lists of novels available for teacher use from the warehouse, the curriculum office, in StudySync, in Course Folders, are found.)

NOTE: Some Elective Courses will have single resource adoptions. You can see all courses with core resources for English 6-12 in the items linked below:

-Curriculum Guides: To access many curricular and district items, you must be logged into Google using your CCS credentials and not a personal account.

Curriculum/Instructional Resources 6-8 Quick Link on the ELA 6-12 Webpage or
Middle School Curriculum Google Doc
Curriculum/Instructional Resources 9-12 Quick Link on the ELA 6-12 Webpage or
High School Curriculum Google Doc

ONE-STOP SHOP: ELA 6-12 Webpage. Use the Quick Links on the landing page for easy navigation.

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.

STUDYSYNC: Access, PD, Tutorials, & Trainings

StudySync (Tier 1 Adopted Resource for English 6-12, Alternate English Courses, and Some Electives)

Access: You AND your students access StudySync via the Clever icon or http://clever.com/in/columbuscity. Click on the McGraw Hill icon. Then, launch the StudySync App. You can use this guide to set up a "sample" class in StudySync for access prior to your classes being loaded by the district: StudySync: Create “Sample” StudySync Class.
Demo Code: Here is the demo code for StudySync in case you have a student teacher, building coach, or admin that wants to see the platform and they do not have a class aligned in Clever/IC. DEMO: https://my.mheducation.com, UN: 612studysync, PW: elaMH2022
Students Reading & Writing Companions: For the English 6-12 courses, student consumables have been sent to the buildings this summer. Be sure to locate these and distribute them to students in these courses. They must be given out to the students.The six units for each grade at StudySync online are included in the consumables and can increase modality options and provide equity for students.
Change Course Names: Inside StudySync, your classes are marked with X and Y. The X classes are for first semester and the Y classes are for second semester. If you want to change the names of your classes in StudySync, follow this guide: StudySync-How to Change Course Names
Integration with Canvas: You will be able to open up StudySync right inside of Canvas and assign items as you normally do. Orientation to English Courses in Canvas (video) & Canvas/StudySync Integration Guide

FREE PD: Weekly FREE Webinars Several Available Each Week
Ask-An Expert Sessions: Oct. 20 3:15-3:45, Nov. 8 3:15-3:45, Nov. 22 3:15-3:45, Dec. 12 3:15-3:45, Dec. 20 3:15-3:45

Help Center: Finding the Help Center in StudySync (video): You can find self-paced Training in the Help Center and teaching videos.
Tutorials & Trainings: StudySync Tutorials (Some of the most popular tutorials)
NEWEST FEATURE: WritePrecise
CCS Trainings: StudySync Trainings (Recorded CCS StudySync trainings from 2020 and 2021)
Articles: Writing Every Day with StudySync: 3 Tips for the New School Year
Errors: If you notice an error in a StudySync assignment, send an email to Carla Mae cphillips3865@columbus.k12.oh.us. She will let both McGraw Hill and StudySync know so that they can make corrections.
Mailing List: For the latest information at StudySync, sign up for the SyncUP monthly newsletter. Opt-in here: studysync.com/subscribe
Coaches Community: Become a Member. Anyone who mentors StudySync teachers is invited to participate—from instructional coaches and teachers on special assignments to lead teachers and curriculum coordinators and administrators.
Curriculum Support Videos: Video-Using the Curriculum Maps with StudySync, Video-StudySync is Your Adopted Curriculum Resource, Not Your "Program", Video-Close Reading of Complex, Grade-Level Texts: Research & Practice, Video-StudySync and Vocabulary Acquisition

BEDFORD/LAUNCHPAD: ACCESS, SUPPORT, TRAINING, AND TUTORIALS

Bedford/Launchpad (Tier 1 Adopted Resource for Honors and AP)

Access: To get to Launchpad through Clever http://clever.com/in/columbuscity, click the Launchpad icon and click on the name of class/textbook. This gives you access to the text online and resources. To get hard copies of the text, order them from the CCS Warehouse.
Support: HELP CENTER FORM: https://macmillan.force.com/bfwhighschool/s/
Trainings & Tutorials: Bedford Overviews, Slideshows, Trainings, and Tutorials
Curriculum Support Videos: Video-Using the Honors Curriculum Maps with Launchpad, Video-Using AP Pacing Guides with Launchpad

Achieve3000

Achieve3000 Tier 2/Tier 3 Adopted Resource for Literacy

See the Achieve3000 Quick Link on the ELA 6-12 Webpage for information about this intervention resource. Sonja Dill is the CCS Support Lead for Achieve3000. This tool can be used across disciplines to help students work on literacy skills and should be used as a Tier II or Tier III intervention which MUST NOT take the place of core instruction using the Tier I adopted resources.

OCTELA CONFERENCE WILL BE IN-PERSON THIS YEAR!

OCTELA CONFERENCE WILL BE IN-PERSON THIS YEAR!

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

If you have an idea for a session, you can read the Call for Proposals and Submit a Proposal here.

STUDYSYNC: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER LIVE WEBINAR & ASK-AN-EXPERT SESSIONS

Below are the StudySync webinar offerings for October and November. 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). Here is the PAGE FOR ALL UPCOMING STUDYSYNC WEBINAR DATES showing offerings through December.

Monday October 17, 2022

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM EDT SyncStart Your Engines: Week One with StudySync Register Now

Wednesday October 19, 2022

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT Basic Training: The Reading Routine - Reading & Rigor in StudySync Register Now
4:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT Basic Training: Create and Grade Assignments Register Now

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Ask-An-Expert Session: 3:15-3:45

Monday, October 24, 2022

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT How Administrators Can Best Utilize StudySync Register Now

Friday, November 4, 2022

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT Social Studies and Science Educators: Discover SyncBlasts Register Now

Monday, November 7, 2022

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

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Ask-An-Expert Session: Nov. 8 3:15-3:45

Friday, November 11, 2022

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDTHow to Create Reports and Respond to Data in StudySync Register Now

Monday, November 14, 2022

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM EDT *NEW* Word Study Lessons Register Now
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM EDT Explore the StudySync Library Register Now

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Ask-An-Expert Session: Nov. 22 3:15-3:45

more outings, classes, contests, grants, and additional pd

COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY CARNEGIE AUTHOR SERIES

Sunday, Oct. 23 | 2 p.m. Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind Register HERE.

ESC OF CENTRAL OHIO LITERACY BOOK STUDY

Answers to Your Biggest Questions About Teaching Middle and High School ELA: Five to Thrive Starting October 18 Join Adolescents Literacy Consultant Rachel Daniels for a 4-part virtual book study to support your ELA classroom. Following the format of the book, each 1-hr session will review the highlights of the assigned section, discuss implementation and, when requested, work through a consultancy protocol to troubleshoot issues. Register here. Sessions happen from 4-5pm on 10/18, 11/15, 1/17, and 2/21.

ODE BOOK STUDY OPPORTUNITY-ACADEMIC CONVERSATIONS

Join the Ohio Department of Education for a virtual book study based on the book Academic Conversations by Jeff Zwiers and Marie Crawford. This book study is an opportunity for educators across disciplines and the state to collaborate, brainstorm and discuss ways to support students with academic talk. Registration is required to receive meeting link. Registration will close on Oct. 25 at 10 a.m..

Dates and Times: Oct. 26, 2022; 4:00 - 4:15 p.m., Nov. 9, 2022; 4:00- 5:15 p.m., Dec. 14, 2022; 4:00-5:15 p.m., Jan. 18, 2023; 4:00-5:15 p.m., Feb. 15, 2023; 4:00-5:15 p.m., Mar. 8, 2023; 4:00-5:15 p.m. Please email Teresa Castellaneta with questions: teresa.castellaneta@education.ohio.gov

CCS COLLECTIVE STUDENT EFFICACY BOOK CLUB

Panorama data for the 2021-2022 school year indicated about 41% of all CCS students in grades 3-12 possessed some level of Collective Student Efficacy (CSE). Another way of looking at the data is to say, “About 59% of our students do not feel confident in the level of work they can successfully complete.” Why don’t our students believe they can be successful? This virtual PD will begin with focusing on that question. By using real-time qualitative and quantitative BOY data, this PD on NOVEMBER 1st will delve into the CSE research from Hattie, Fisher, Frey & Clarke (2021) and give real research-proven best practices to increase Collective Student Efficacy in even the most challenging settings. SEE THIS FLYER for more information and to register.

THURBER HOUSE LITERARY ARTS SEASON

Get tickets for any of the following author talks/literary events here: https://www.thurberhouse.org/fall-2022-events.

October 18, Sloane Crosley, Cult Classic, 7-8pm
October 21, Paranormal Investigator, James A. Wills, Strange and Spooky Tales, 7-8pm
October 29, Kids: Boos and Books (1-4pm)
October 29, Adults, Booze 'n' Books (5-7pm)
November 1, Hanif Abdurraqib, 7-8pm

AUTHOR VISITS

Silas House Wednesday, October 19th, 7:00pm Gramercy Books Bexley

Celeste Ng Friday, Oct 28th, 7:00 PM Columbus College of Art and Design

Moriel Rothman-Zecher Wednesday, November 9th, 7:00pm Gramercy Books Bexley

Saeed Jones Tuesday, November 15th, 7:00pm Gramercy Books Bexley

Ross Gay/Hanif Abdurraqib Tuesday, November 29, 7:00pm Gramercy Books Bexley

AMLE CONFERENCE

The AMLE conference happens from November 3-5 in Orlando, Florida. Conference Site, Register HERE.

OHIO MIDDLE LEVEL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL STATE CONFERENCE

The Ohio Middle Level Association is excited to host the 2022 annual state conference at the Hyatt Regency Columbus from November 10-11, 2022. Join them in Columbus as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Keynote speakers include Jon Gordon (The Energy Bus) and Jack Berckemeyer (Deliberate Optimism). With over 100 break-out sessions focusing on middle level education you don't want to miss it! To access the 2022 annual state conference website, please visit https://www.ohiomla.org/2022-annual-conference.

NCTE ANNUAL CONVENTION Anaheim, CA | November 17 – 20, 2022

Thousands of literacy and language educators, with a variety of experiences, from a number of professional contexts, will all convene together this November for the 2022 edition of the Annual Convention. This year’s timely theme "¡Sueños! Pursuing the Light" is dedicated to collectively pursuing the light in and with each other. Save by registering today! Early Bird Registration is Open Through October 19th. Here are the Keynote Speakers.

THURBER HOUSE ADULT WRITING WORKSHOPS

Here is the Fall Writing Workshop Schedule.

Adult Writing Workshop | From Hook to Resolution: Writing a Short Story MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2022, 6:00 PM 8:00 PM, IN-PERSON AT THURBER CENTER OR VIRTUAL ON ZOOM
Adult Writing Workshop | Go Rogue: Graphic Novel And Comics THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022, 6:00 PM 7:30 PM, IN-PERSON AT THURBER CENTER OR VIRTUAL ON ZOOM
Adult Writing Workshop | Writing Believable Dialogue MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022, 6:00 PM 8:00 PM, IN-PERSON AT THURBER CENTER OR VIRTUAL ON ZOOM
Adult Writing Workshop | Woo Your Muse: Reclaiming Your Pre-Pandemic Mojo and Jumpstarting Your Writing Practice MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2022, 6:00 PM 8:00 PM, VIRTUAL ON ZOOM
Adult Writing Workshop | Here’s the Pitch: Successfully Sell Freelance Articles to Editors MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2022, 6:00 PM 8:00 PM, IN-PERSON AT THURBER CENTER OR VIRTUAL ON ZOOM
Adult Writing Workshop | From Memories To Memoir MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022, 6:00 PM 8:00 PM, IN-PERSON AT THURBER CENTER OR VIRTUAL ON ZOOM
Adult Writing Workshop | So You Want to Write Middle Grade or Young Adult Fiction MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022, 6:00 PM 8:00 PM, VIRTUAL ON ZOOM
Adult Writing Workshop | Revision: Approach It Like Triage, MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022, 6:00 PM 8:00 PM, VIRTUAL ON ZOOM

THE STANDARDS INSTITUTE (UNBOUND ED) WINTER 2023

The Standards Institute™ happening February 6-10 in Anaheim, CA, is an immersive and transformative five-day in-person learning experience. Educators who attend the Standards Institute™ commit to adaptive change within themselves while enhancing equitable practices focused on GLEAM™ (grade-level, engaging, affirming, meaningful) instruction.

OCTELA CONFERENCE WILL BE IN-PERSON THIS YEAR!

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

If you have an idea for a session, you can read the Call for Proposals and Submit a Proposal here.

GIVEAWAYS

Thurber House Pen and Tell It Registration Open (Grades 6-8)

Thurber House's Pen and Tell It! is back and in-person this November! Registration just opened. Classes are capped at 20 so it fills up quickly. All classes are stand-alone, one hour sessions. Tuition is $20 - $25. If students register for two or more classes, they’ll receive 10% off! Classes will take place at Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215.There are new themes and a lot of fun packed into each afternoon. INFO HERE. REGISTER HERE.

6th/7th/8th Grade Workshops

Larger Than Life, Sunday, November 6, 1:00-3:00 pm, Focus: Character Creation
Crazy Creatures and Weird Worlds, Sunday, November 13, 1:00-3:00 pm, Focus: Sci-fi Creatures
Fanfiction For All, Sunday, November 20, 1:00-3:00 pm, Focus: Plots, Worlds, and Art

Poetry Out Loud Registration is OPEN!

-The registration is now open for the 2022-2023 Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest! Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national arts education program for high school students that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for students across the country.

-Columbus City Schools has the unique distinction of being the first district to have a school enter POL in its inaugural year in Ohio, 18 years ago, and of producing the first national winner. We have sent many students to the state contest and a few to the national contest.

-This POL teacher resource page is full of information about selecting poems and organizing school competitions. It also has lesson plans and judging tools.

-Schools can register here: OHIO POL REGISTRATION. The deadline to register your school is December 1. The deadline to complete your school recitation competition is January 29th. The regional competition will be Wednesday, Feb. 8th at Thurber Center in Columbus.

-Thurber House is also hosting a teacher workshop on Saturday, November 2nd from 6-7pm via Zoom (Meeting ID: 829 6247 3033; Passcode: 550383) to give teachers the opportunity to ask questions and learn from those who have done this in the past. You can mail any questions about POL to Meg Brown at Thurber House (megbrown@thurberhouse.org).

WELLSPRING OF IMAGINATION HS STUDENT POETRY OPPORTUNITY

Wellspring of Imagination is an intensive poetry experience for high school students. Students will work with nationally known poets for 3 days, writing, editing, and practicing performance skills. The culmination of the program is an evening performance for families, friends and the community by the students/poets and the teachers at a private lodge in the Hocking Hills. Following the intensive workshop, the teachers will mentor the students for the next year. A book of their poems will then be published. The dates for Wellspring 2022 are November 3rd, 4th and 5th. Overnight accommodations and meals are provided.

If a student is interested, have them fill out this CONTACT FORM and use "Wellspring" as the Subject. In the Message section, they should include their interest in Wellspring, their grade, their school, and contact information. Please call or email Alan Cohen at 740 385 3918 or owl111@frontier.com if you have any questions. You can visit the Wellspring site to lean more.

Upon acceptance, students will be sent a packet of materials including a list of what to bring, suggested poets/poems to read, a daily schedule, and a list of the rules. Students will be expected to find their own transportation to and from the event. The cost of this program is more than $700 per student, but generous supporters allow us to allow students to come for a nominal fee. All of the funding comes from donations. They ask each student to earn money to help defray the cost and demonstrate their desire to attend. They ask for $100 per student, but they will turn no one away for financial reasons. Some full scholarships are available. All participating students also will receive gifts of poetry books.

NCTE WRITING AWARDS-DATES ANNOUNCED

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!

THURBER HOUSE YOUNG WRITERS' STUDIO-GRADES 9-12

YOUNG WRITERS’ STUDIO FALL 2022

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. With facilitator Frankie Diederich, they challenge students to take a different spin each week through exploratory exercises designed to inspire out-of-the box thinking. A portion of each session is set aside for young writers who would like to bring in their own writing to be reviewed and discussed by their peers in a creative and nurturing environment. Students who prefer not to bring in work take part by learning how to talk about writing in a constructive way while helping fellow writers improve their pieces.

-Sessions take place on select Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 pm. Young Writers' Studio is held at Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Ave, and simultaneously Zoomed for virtual participants. Each session is $15 and can be paid in advance by registering online. We also have a limited number of scholarships available for students who would like to attend.

Tuesday, October 25 from 6:30–8:30 pm ET
Tuesday, November 8 from 6:30–8:30 pm ET
Tuesday, November 22 from 6:30–8:30 pm ET

THURBER HOUSE FLIP THE PAGE SUBMISSIONS

Flip the Page: Central Ohio's Teen Literary Journal

Flip the Page is written, staffed, and produced by Central Ohio teens. The mission is to provide a showcase for the work of young local writers and offer opportunities to learn about submission, critique, editorial design, and publication. All accepted writers and artists receive a complimentary copy of the journal, which is sold on Amazon. Submissions are juried by a committee of teen writers from Thurber House's Young Writers' Studio (see above). Learn more here: Flip the Page Site.

Submissions for the 2023 edition of Flip the Page will open in November 2022. Let your students know about it now so that they will be ready to submit once the site opens.
Writing Submission Guidelines

Must be a resident of Central Ohio (Franklin, Delaware, Union, Madison, Pickaway, Fairfield, or Licking counties)
Open to teens ages 13 to 19 years old
They are interested in short stories, poems, songs, essays, play excerpts, and especially humor pieces
Maximum of 800 words per piece
Limit of two entries per person
Accepted formats are Word documents and shareable Google documents

CCS SECONDARY LITERACY PLAN

Most of the English curriculum sessions on the District PD Days this year will have a literacy focus. That is because CCS has developed the CCS Secondary Literacy Plan, which you can access here: CCS Secondary Literacy Plan. The plan 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. The components of the plan are: Academic Language, Reading Comprehension, Writing Competency, Classroom Discussion, and Collective Efficacy.

If you want to dig deeper into any of the main components of the secondary literacy plan, here are some sites, resources, strategies, recordings, and articles that may offer insight and enrichment. Note: The list below is not inclusive of everything you currently have in your adopted resources (e.g. StudySync) which are the MAIN items for instruction and support of the literacy components.

Literacy