OSWEGO, NY – There was a writer’s celebration in the second grade classroom of Michelle McManus at Frederick Leighton Elementary School.

Writing is a major focus of second graders.

Second graders proudly displayed their stories which they did as part of the writing initiative. In front is Brandon Wise while seated are Megan Vivlemore and Liam Brown and in back are Payton Vantassell, Abby McPherson and Evan Tesoriero.

Literacy Specialist Amy Armet said, “Spending time as families, picking up trash, recycling papers are just a few issues we explored. We read tons of books written by writers who felt strongly about an issue and wrote about their issues.”

The students studied books both as readers and writers.

Armet continued, “We took a look at the books to study how these writers wrote. We learned that writers choose a topic that really and truly matters to them and then they write about it.”

Students researched and learned that writers write very purposefully and intentionally about their topics.

The teacher explained, “We discovered that sometimes the most important part would be the illustrations, or the use of examples. Some writers use sound effects and speech bubbles to make their points. Other writers use repeated lines or poetry.”

The past few weeks the second graders tried their hand at crafting our pieces in new and different ways.

They culminated their writing experiences by sharing their stories with the class and visitors.

“The Learners,” Chip Kidd’s mix of office comedy and self-discovery novel, will be the Oswego Reading Initiative selection for summer 2010 reading by the SUNY Oswego campus community.

When news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti reached Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Middle School, staff members at the school knew they wanted to do something to help the victims of the natural disaster. Ryan Cobb, Dean of Students at the Middle School asked staff for their input and together they came up with an idea for a [...]

Happy New Year to all of our readers in the tri-county region!
While our Richland facility is closed until April, the society is still active with Friday afternoon hours at the Barclay Court House in Pulaski (2nd floor over DMV, 2pm until 5) or by appointment. We got off to a rocky start following our [...]