Writers in the Schools, a KAC outreach project :
For more recent outreach accomplishments see
KAC's Writers in the Community
KAC Writers in the Schools Accomplishments:
Christie Breault, District 5, Benton, has resigned due to serious health problems. She has been Writers in the Schools Chair since 2004. Christie has been very dedicated to encouraging Kansas youth in their writing. She has been the organizer with Iris Cox Pearce of the Benton Grade School Annual Writing Contest in District 5 for several years. Christie also did a magnificent job as Youth Contest Manager in 2005. We all very much appreciate Christie’s valuable efforts on behalf of Kansas Authors Club and the youth of Kansas. Thank you, Christie. We wish you improving health. 11/1/2006
Frankie Roland, District 3, Coffeyville, spoke to 2nd and 4th grades at Holy Name Catholic School, Coffeyville, and also all the 5th grades at Community Elementary School in Coffeyville: total 130 students. 5/15/2006
Carol Yoho, District 1, Topeka, supported area high school students competition in the area's first annual Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest on April 11, 2006. She served as event photographer. Five contestants, representing the five area high schools, competed by reciting poetry in three rounds.
Judges were Jonathan Holden, Kansas poet laureate; Thomas Fox Averill, author and Washburn University professor; Cheryl Brown Henderson, president and chief executive officer of the Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research; Denise Low, poet and chairwoman of the English department at Haskell Indian Nations University; and Ron Wasserstein, vice president of academic affairs and Washburn University math and statistics professor.
Andrew Toburen, a student at Cair Paravel-Latin School in Topeka, was named the champion, and Catherine Lischke, a student at Shawnee Heights High School, was named the runner-up. This is a national event, with area winners competing at the national level May 16, 2006, in Washington D.C. The event was sponsored by the Kansas Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation. 4/15/2006
Christie Breault, District 5, Benton, organized the Benton Grade School 6th Annual Writing Contest and had over 350 entries in prose, poetry and artwork. The culmination of the contest will be publication of a book. Iris Cox-Pearce, District 5, Sandia Park NM; Dr. James Wright, District 5, Bel Aire; and Robin Langhardt judged. 3/29/2006
return to Accomplishments ListDorothy Masters, District 4, Harveyville, has organized her 4th Annual Youth Writing Contest for the Harveyville area and has 80 participants. 3/29/2006
return to Accomplishments ListLutheran Fine Arts Council of Topeka
2006 Children’s Writing Contest
Recognition of Winners, Sunday, March 12, 2006
Barnes & Noble, Topeka
Guest reader: Bill Karnowski District 1 members and friends attended the award ceremony to recognize winners of the 2006 Children's Writing Contest sponsored by the Lutheran Fine Arts Council of Topeka. Bill Karnowski, Disrtict 4, Wamego, read some of his poems. Bill has published three books of poetry. Myron Dunavan, District 1, Topeka, served as master of ceremonies.
There were 33 entries in prose and poetry on the theme of Kansas in this year’s contest. Children in 1st through 9th grade who attend the Topeka Lutheran School or belong to the Lutheran churches in Topeka were eligble. 1st place prizes were $35.00 gift certificates. 2nd and 3rd place prizes were $10 gift certificates. The winners read their winning entries to those gathered.
Thanks to District 1 members Linda Geffert, Janice Levering, and George Paris, Topeka, who served as judges for the contest.
Lydia Gonzales, District 7, Garden City, was asked to read her story Ringo/Gringo to the students at Charles Stone Intermediate Center in Garden City on February 22 and 23, 2006. She was also invited to be a guest for their chili supper, all part of the literacy program for their school.
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First Congregational Church, Topeka
Naomi Patterson, District 1, Topeka, offered young people’s poetry writing workshops, "What Rhymes with Orange?” as part of an April Poetry Month celebration at First Congregational Church, Topeka, on Sat., April 30, 2005. The morning session was held for grades 3-6. The afternoon session was held for grades 7-12. Naomi has also presented poetry-writing classes at the Topeka Lutheran School this school year and helped with judging contests. 5/19/2005
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Junior High Student Writers Conference, Olathe Public Schools
A Kansas Authors Club Jr. High Student Writers Conference, hosted by District 2 and coordinated by Mary-Lane Kamberg, was held Saturday, April 16, 2005, at the 
Instructional Resource Center of the Olathe Public Schools. Approximately 30 students participated enthusiastically in free-writing exercises and read them to each other in small groups. (“Try that with a room full of adult writers!” Mary-Lane says.) Then Kamberg gave suggestions on story structure and tips for strong writing. Careers in which writing is used were discussed. An open mike gave students an opportunity to read poems or short stories they had written and brought with them. Flyers for the Kansas Authors Club Youth Writing Contest were distributed, and each student received a certificate of participation.
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2005 Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest
Kindergarten through Third Grade students within the KTWU broadcast area were eligible for this contest. Winners were entered in the national contest. See the Reading Rainbow Contest Web Site for winners. Participants wroe and illustrated their own stories. .
2005 Awards, Lutheran Fine Arts Council of Topeka 3/15/2005
District 6 has received a donation from Cynthia Mead of Inman KS on behalf of Leona Dillard, District 6, Hutchinson. Cynthia's daughter is home-schooled, and Leona has helped her with writing essays. This money will benefit District 6 Writers in the Schools programs. Kansas Authors Club sends a great big thank you to the Mead family for their support and interest in our club! 1/10/2005
Dover Elementary
Lenore Stumpf, District 4, Axtell, read for the second-graders at Dover Elementary School on May 4, 2004. 5/12/2004
return to Accomplishments ListSedan Grade School
Dorothy Masters, District 4, Harveyville, spoke about writing to 65 students at Sedan Grade School on April 23, 2004, at the invitation of Pam Russo, special education teacher. Frankie Roland, District 3, Coffeyville, had done Writers in the Schools presentations with the 4th, 5th and 6th grades, and the students had written stories or poems. Winners were named and treated to lunch with Dorothy at Pizza Hut. 5/12/2004
return to Accomplishments List2004 Lutheran Fine Arts Council Children's Writing Contest
Members of District 1, Kansas Authors Club judged the 2004 Lutheran Fine Arts Council Children's Writing Contest. Awards were presented to the student winners on March 14, 2004 at the Topeka's Barnes & Noble Bookseller. Our thanks to Dorothy Masters for taking photos, to Liz Nichols for musical entertainment at the awards ceremony, and to Kansas Authors Club District 1 writing judges: Errol Anderson, Connie Beckett, Karen Brown, Myron Dunavan, Judie Miller, Naomi Patterson, Mary Lou Stein, and Rosemary Torrez. Visit Lutheran Children's Writing Contest page to see photos from the event and a list of winner names. 4/12/04
return to Accomplishments List2004 KTWU Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Awards
KTWU (PBS) has announced the local winners in the 10th
Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. The children whose stories were chosen
were awarded trophies and ribbons in a ceremony at the Topeka and Shawnee
County Public Library on Tuesday, March 30. The 2004 contest first place winners and the titles of their stories are
Justin Ward, kindergarten for "The Alien Who Wanted A Pet,"
Juliana May Laughlin, first grade for "My Balloon,"
Cheyenne Stucky, second grade for "Best Friends Forever," and
Victoria Hamilton, third grade for "Professor Bunny's River Cleaner."Other winners are
Alexandria Bontrager, kindergarten, second place for "The Old Straw
Hat,"
Regan Hendricks, kindergarten, third place for "The Magic Chalk,"
Emily Cobb, first grade, second place for "If I Had A Dog,"
Sydnei Murphy, first grade, third place for "Snowy Day,"
Ariel Smith, second grade, second place for "Harly's Christmas,"
Shelby Dahl, second grade, third place for "The Baby Duck,"
Lydia Gibson, third grade, second place for "The Magic Coin," and
Brendan Bonavia, third grade, third place for "The Rose Without Thorns."Two more stories were also judged exceptional:
Issac Bird, first grade, Best Illustration for "The Machine," and
Erin Brady, second grade, Best Story for "The Night Before New Year's."The first place winners in the local contest are sent on to be entered in
national competition. This year's judges for the local contest were Kansas
Authors Club District 1. Thanks to Dorothy
Masters, Evie Green, Annette
Hope Billings, Naomi Patterson,
and Karen Brown for serving as judges. Karen Brown read “My Balloon” by
Juliana May Laughlin, one of the winning stories, at the celebration and
had her picture taken with the young author and illustrator. Max and Carol
Yoho also attended the celebration, and Carol took
pictures of the proud
authors and illustrators.
The local contest is sponsored and underwritten by the Telecom Pioneers Life Members. The first place winning storieswere published on the KTWU website at ktwu.washburn.edu on May 1, 2004. 4/1/04
return to Accomplishments ListBenton Grade School Writing Competition
Kansas Authors Club is mentioned in an article about a writing competition held yearly at the grade school in Benton, Kansas. See this article in the Parent-Teachers Organization online magazine, January 2004. 1/20/04
return to Accomplishments ListWriters
in the Schools, a KAC Project
—reported by Frankie Roland,
2003 Writers in the Schools Officer r
11/7/03KAC Writers in the Schools contacted 1,442 children with
poetry or prose presentations between September 2002 and
September 2003. Every district did something to promote Writers
in the Schools. Some whole school contests were held such as Benton Elementary
School and Ottawa Middle School. Some Districts judged contests, held readarounds
and receptions, taught students how to keep journals, or paid fees for students
to go to Young Authors Conventions. I now "pass the torch" for Writers in the Schools to Christie
Breault. We are in good hands.
Sincerely, Frankie Roland
return to Accomplishments ListIntroducing
Christie Breault
2004 Writers
in the Schools Coordinator Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Christie
Breault (pronounced Bro) and I have been appointed as 2003-2004 Writers
in the Schools Coordinator following the very capable but swamped Frankie
Roland. I am thrilled to have this position and look forward to a year of
doing all I can to get more Kansas students writing!
I have been an elementary educator for roughly ten years
and have organized a writing contest for our local elementary school with
my good friend and fellow KAC member Iris Cox-Pearce. This is our fourth
year running, and it just gets better every year. We have packets available
on ‘10 steps to a writing contest for your school’ for any member
who would like to get this started in their own district. I am also interested
in tying our youth contests in with state standards on writing so that teachers
will see the benefit of such contests and therefore be more likely to introduce
this into their curriculum. What better position to do this from than a
KAC office?
Oh yes, I do write on occasion! I have recently finished
a children’s historical fiction novel set in 1870s Wichita.
I look forward to a fun and productive year with Writers
in the Schools. Please feel free to contact me with questions or information
on your district’s program.
Christie
Breault
15225 E. 77th St N, Benton KS 67017
316-778-1984
send
e-mail to Christie
Sam Pierson, District
2, Lebo, who regularly attends District 1 meetings, recently
read at her granddaughter’s school, Eugene Field Elementary.
Emma, as star student of the week, invited Sam to come read her book. Sam’s
latest book is not second grader material, so she read a children’s
story “Margie Blue Pockets” by Anne
McCourtie, District 1, Mayetta.
Emma held the illustrations Sam has drawn, sometimes forgetting to turn them
so the class could see, since she was seeing them for the first time herself.
“It was a great learning thing for ME,” Sam
says. “The children were all so bright 
and
they couldn't get close enough to me. The teacher, Mrs. Miller, had to keep
telling them to take two giant steps backward and give the woman room to breathe.
At the end of my reading Mrs. Miller asked the children what genre the book
was written in and they all knew it was fiction. Then she asked what the author
was trying to get across and they all knew that you didn't always have to
have blue pockets. I was simply amazed that they knew these things.…Kids
these days know more than I knew in high school. It was a really fun day,
and I hope to be asked back real soon.” 11/10/03
Writers
in the Schools, a KAC Project
—reported by Frankie Roland,
2003 Writers in the Schools Officer 2/24/03
KAC members all over
Kansas are taking time to make a difference in the life of a child:District 1 served as judges for
the
2003 Lutheran Fine Arts Council's Children's
Writing Contest in Topeka. There were 27 entrants. Two of the
contest winners read their winning entries at the January meeting of District
1. Barnes & Noble held a reading and reception for the young writers,
which ten District 1 members attended. Pictures are posted on our website.
Naomi Patterson has been appointed Writers in the Schools
chairperson for District 1.District 2, Ottawa Middle School Writing Contest
Barbara Curry, Katherine Borghardt, Joann Williams and Tom Mach presented
writing contest awards and certificates to participating students at an all-school
assembly at the Ottawa Middle School. District 2 sponsored the contest in
connection with KAC’s Writers in the Schools Program.
The theme for both prose and poetry was “A Kansas Tornado.” Turnout
and entries were excellent. When we judged them, the general consensus was
“Who says kids can’t write anymore?” We awarded poetry books
to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place poetry winners in all three grades (6th, 7th, and
8th) and a book on writing for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place prose winners.
Honorable Mention awards were also given, and every participant received a
certificate. 5/11/03
District 3 is giving 1 and 1/2 hour creative writing workshops for 4th and 5th grade classes at Garfield Elementary at Coffeyville this year. They will also judge entries from Whittier Elementary there and decide who goes to Pittsburgh State's Young Authors Conference. They will use grant money to pay registration fees for the nine who are chosen. Poetry workshops are also being given at the elementary level by Night Writers of Coffeyville.
District 4 member Dorothy Masters has been working with the local junior high in her town of Harveyville and getting them interested in creative writing. District 5 always has many members who give time to students in the schools and have whole school contests, etc. Raymond Nelson gives many poetry workshops.
District 6 and 7 have Tracy Simmons again working with her creative writing club which meets once a month. They meet for an hour and she also asks them to keep a journal.
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NOTE:
In mid-2006 the focus of our outreach program was widened and the program renamed.
Please vist:
"Writers
in
the Community"