Mead Students Celebrate Authors
F. Scott Fitzgerald has nothing on Farwell Elementary third-grader Ashley Connell.
Fitzgerald’s work, after all, didn’t see the light of press until he was of legal drinking age. Nine-year-old Connell can’t legally swear.
But Connell’s work, “Searchlight Lives,” will be published and distributed school-wide as part of the Mead Authors Celebration.
The month-long writing focus, which wrapped up last week, is meant to energize students while teaching them different methods, said organizer Mary Discoll.
“Having your work displayed is a different form of assessment for students - the kids realize their work is going to be seen,” said Driscoll, a resource room assistant at Evergreen Elementary.
The celebration kicked off with a visit from children’s author Vicki Cobb, who specializes in easy-to-read science books. Some students learned how to write clearly in non-fiction works.
Evergreen fourth-graders wrote sleuthing books, complete with homemade fingerprint analysis and deductions using the scientific method. “Now that I have solved my case, I’m free to go to Hawaii,” wrote Sarah Newberry. “I plan to have much fun in Hawaii, but I better go fast before the phone rings.”
Others, like Connell, wandered down their own imaginative paths. Connell wrote about a Malamute racing dog who makes a miraculous recovery after breaking down during the Iditarod.
Matt Rees and other sixth-graders at Evergreen wrote eco-topia science fiction stories. In Rees’ book, “Earth 2,” a handful of people escape Earth before the polar ice caps melt. A rocket ship clears the moon in a mere 30 minutes because the ozone layer is so depleted.
Rees’ classmate Lauren Phillips imagines an ethnic war turned nuclear between Bosnia and Russia has forced people off the planet. Phillips ends up living, married and happy, on another planet.
The writing exercises unlocked a unique place in some of the students’ minds. “I have a bunch of ideas in my head,” said Farwell’s Matthew Kieswether, 8. He is at work on a story about a knight and a magic sword.
“Mrs. Pryor told us to think it in your mind,” said Connell, tapping her forehead. “I can do that.”
Schools looking for grant money
With school officials ready to flip on the Internet in Spokane classrooms, a slew of North Side schools are looking for grants from private groups.
Shaw and Salk middle schools have each asked the US West Foundation for $12,000 to improve in-school networks.
Shadle Park High School, which already has the best Internet hook-ups in the school district, wants about $8,500 to buy computers for library research. Finch Elementary is asking for $4,000 for computers to supplement classroom instruction, and Woodridge $12,000 for training.
Mead making up snow holiday
You had your fun and now you have to pay: Mead School District is in session Friday to make up for a snow day. The day was originally scheduled to be a day off.
School boundary meeting
Mead administrators are holding a pair of community meetings next week to talk about proposed boundaries for the new Mt. Spokane-Mead High School.
A committee of community residents drew up two plans. Both plans would alter existing boundaries for elementary and middle schools.
The meetings are in the Mead High School cafeteria, 302 W. Hastings at 7 p.m. on Monday and March 21.
For copies of the plans, call the school district office at 468-3000.
, DataTimes MEMO: Education Notebook is a regular feature of the North Side Voice. If you have news about an interesting program or activity at a North Side school or about the achievements of North Side students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Write: Jonathan Martin, Education Notebook, North Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail: jonathanm@spokesman.com. Call: 459-5484. Fax: 459-5482.