In every class in every grade, students practice writing and correcting their work. The school has emphasized teacher training in writing skills and uses technology and other tools daily in every classroom to practice writing. High expectations are set for students and every class in every grade is required to include writing, said Principal Gary Seymore. One way the school has incorporated writing is to have an essay question on every major test in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. In the lower grades, students are learning to organize and write their thoughts well.
Teachers then evaluate students work to determine what areas to focus on in the classroom.
By doing this, writing instruction is based on students needs, not the next chapter in the textbook. While writing is a big focus for the school, the staff has used their imagination to make it fun and creative instead of a chore. The principal credits that as the reason students are interested in learning. Teamwork and a school-wide emphasis on writing made the difference said Principal Dr. Jan Stauffer. The focus on writing has been led by the school s English department with support from teachers in all other subject areas.