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Secondary English Newsletter-3
Volume Six, Issue Three/November Issue 2023-24
November 7th PD Day for English 6-12 Teachers
FOLLOW-UP FOR NOVEMBER 7TH DISTRICT PD DAY FOR ENGISH 6-12 TEACHERS
Exit Survey: If you attended the PD Day and have not completed the exit survey, please do so.
https://tinyurl.com/Exit11-7ELA
History Quest: Congratulations to the following teachers who successfully completed the History Quest Wellness Walk! (Prizes should arrive in your school mail the week of November 13th.)
Amy Petry, Marion-Franklin
Carlee Beatty, West HS
Chad Cecil, Mifflin HS
Elizabeth Cutler, Mifflin HS
Gina McGowan, Indianola Informal
Joshua Dodge, Columbus Africentric
Kathy McQuate, Columbus Online Academy
Lauren Johnston, West HS
Melissa Charles, Mifflin HS
Sara Taggart, Mifflin HS
Wyk McGowan, Eastmoor Academy
Book Clubs: If you attended the Middle School or High School Book Club Sessions, you will receive an email noting the book you will read for the January PD and the book you will read for the March PD. The books listed in the email will be sent to you in school mail.
JustWrite Ohio Forms Due November 17th for December 2nd Tournament
JUSTWRITE OHIO--Coach Information for December 2nd Tournament at Eastmoor Academy
HERE ARE THE TIME-SENSITIVE ITEMS THAT MUST BE COMPLETED BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH FOR YOU TEAMS!
- Liability/Permission to Publish: It is imperative that you upload the liability form/permission to publish form. When you upload these, please ensure they are all facing the correct direction and organized by division and coach/volunteer. Please give these to all tournament attendees, including but not limited to Coaches, Judges, Student Writers, Alternate writers, and Volunteers. These forms must be submitted by Friday, November 17, 2023 at 5 PM.
- Competing Writers- Please click here to fill out the Google form with your writers' names. These names must be submitted by Friday, November 17, 2023, at 5 PM. Also include the names of your judges and your parent volunteer. Don’t forget they need to sign waiver forms as well.
Poetry- Due to your scheduled break, we are sending the poetry prompt a week earlier than normal. Please access this linked poetry document. Your writers will bring these with you on the day of the competition. We are excited to honor poetry at our tournament. All poems must be attached to a writer's cover page and follow the requirements in order to be considered.
- Be thinking about how many judges/helpers you will bring to the tournament. You need one judge per team (one for 9-10 and one for 11-12). Thus, if you have two coaches and two teams, you are set. If you only have one coach, see if you can get another adult to be a judge. Parents can be helpers in the STAR room, so if a parent wants to stay the entire day, we will have work for them. Students who may be part of your writing group, but are not on your team can come ot the tournament and receive internship hours for being runners for the writing rooms/STAR room from 9:30am-1pm.
-Each registered high school can send two teams (6 students for a 9-10 team and 6 students for an 11-12 team) with their coach/coaches to the competition.
-About two weeks prior to the tournament, each registered team will receive a poetry prompt. Student team members are to bring one poem based on this prompt with them to the tournament. These poems are read by special Regional Poet Laureates and three poems from each division will win a special poetry award and advance to the State Tournament. At our regional tournament, the poems will be judged by these three outstanding poets: Sandra Feen, 2022-24 Ohio Beat Poet Laureate; Rikki Santer, Ohio Poet of the Year; and Dr. Anna Soter, Professor Emerita, The Ohio State University.
-At our regional tournament, each student will write in response to three different prompts in one or more of these genres: Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Classic Horror/Gothic, Fantasy, and Narrative Nonfiction.
-Students who do well in our regional tournament will advance to the state competition.
-A concession stand will be open during the tournament and we have requested food trucks for the lunch hour.
- The Columbus City Central Region Tournament Page is LIVE! Coaches, be sure to upload your permission to publish and student forms here.
- The Coach's Corner area has information about the genres and rubrics to help you prepare for the tournament and the Coach Handbook.
- Here is the schedule for our Regional Tournament at Eastmoor Academy on December 2nd. Students/Coaches should arrive at 8:15am.
- Here is an Eastmoor Academy Interior Map that will be used for the Tournament, and here is an Eastmoor Academy Exterior Directional Map that can be given to parents who are dropping off their students for the tournament. Parents are welcome to attend the awards ceremony in the afternoon.
Lunch Arrangements: The following food trucks will be at the event: Taquitos Truck and Frida's Authentic Mexican Food. The menus are linked. If students choose not to go this route, they will need to pack a lunch. Students may not leave for lunch and may not order deliveries of food. There will also be a concession stand. Please remind your students to bring money for snacks.
- You can learn more about JustWrite Ohio from this recording of their session at the September 20th PD Day or at their site: https://justwriteus.org/ohio-home/.
Good Luck to all of the schools/coaches/students who are participating!
Columbus Africentric HS, Coach: Sidney Jones, Jr./Alexa Crider/Chiquita Toure
CAHS, Coach: Evan Spooner
East, Coach: Olivia Lenkei/Amanda Zakelj
Eastmoor Academy, Coach: Wyk McGowan/Chloe Heins
Fort Hayes, Coach: Courtney Johnson/Linda Key
Independence, Coach: Lizz Birkhoff
Mifflin, Coach: Linda Gorelova
Northland, Coach: Christopher Monteiro/Elizabeth Kronenwetter
West, Coach: Sean Gentry/Carlee Beatty
Shout Out to CCS Teachers at NCTE
This week is the National Council of Teacher of English Annual Conference. Several CCS Teachers will be facilitating, presenting, or acting as committee chairs at this national event. Kudos to these educators!!
June Andrews (Presenter, Speaker)
Sarah Barry (Presenter)
Marie Boozer (Presenter)
Regina Fuentes (Presenter, Speaker)
Darla Jackson (Onsite Exhibits)
Courtney Johnson (Onsite Hospitality, Presenter)
Maya Marlowe (Presenter, Speaker)
Antonia Mulvihill (Presenter)
Pattie Niese (Local Committee Co-Chair)
Janie Serna (Presenter)
Denise Sizemore (Presenter, Speaker)
Chiquita Toure (Presenter, Speaker)
Patricia Vazquez (Presenter)
Amanda White (Presenter)
NEW RELEASES IN LITCHARTS A+
All the Literature Guides published in October
- ‘And Women Must Weep’ by Henry Handel Richardson
- Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman
- Farewell Address by Abraham Lincoln
- God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
- The Hours by Michael Cunningham
- House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday
- A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama
- The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
- Mother Tongue by Amy Tan
- Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
- The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
- Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang
- The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
- The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
- The Tower by Marghanita Laski
- Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand
- What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? by Frederick Douglass
All the Poetry Guides published in October
- Afterwards by Thomas Hardy
- Astrophil and Stella 1 by Philip Sidney
- Elegy V by John Donne
- Explosion by Vivimarie VanderPoorten
- First Day After the War by Mazisi Kunene
- The Flower-Fed Buffaloes by Vachel Lindsay
- A Long Journey by Musaemura Zimunya
- Money by Philip Larkin
- Salome by Carol Ann Duffy
- Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt
- Tithonus by Alfred Lord Tennyson
MLK Youth Oratorical Contest
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Oratorical Contest 2023
-The MLK Youth Oratorical Contest is Saturday, December 9th, at the Columbus College of Art & Design.
-The Theme is "The Dream Deferred? Where do we go from here?"
-For details on how to enter, click https://www.columbus.gov/MLKOC2023/.
-The Submission Deadline is 5pm on November 27th!
-Please contact Gale Gray for questions or additional information. (GAGray@columbus.gov or call 614-645-1950)
McGraw Hill Literacy Symposium Bonus Learning
Literacy Symposium Replay
It’s time for some (bonus) learning!
The summer may be over, but the McGraw Hill Literacy Symposium bonus sessions are now live and ready to extend your professional learning! Sign in now using your Zoom account to:
- Access 30 on-demand professional learning sessions from the summer event.
- Watch five new bonus sessions on the Science of Reading, writing, tech in the classroom, and more!
- Discover and download resources you can use in your classroom.
Ready to dive in? Join them in the event space and watch the short Welcome video to get your bearings.
- Use the Sessions tab to access, search, and filter content.
- Explore the Exhibitor tab to access the event FAQ and symposium Playbook.
- Download the Playbook to take notes, learn more about the sessions, and find key takeaways and practical tips that you can put into use in your classroom.
- Certificates of Completion for each session are available for download in the individual session resources which can be used to get CEUs in PDS using the External Credit Requests tab.
Thurber House Author Event
Emmy-Award Winning Actor, Author, & Comedian Henry Winkler, in Conversation with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Connie Schultz
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 FROM 7:00-8:00 PM AT MERSHON AUDITORIUM AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
You will have the opportunity to ask Henry questions after the event, meet Henry and Connie for a photo/hello, and get signed books/bookplates from Henry and Connie. Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry, Winkler's memoir, is about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.
Literacy Events at the National Veteran's Museum
Open Mic Night and Feel Good Writing Workshop
OPEN MIC NIGHT
Friday, December 1 | 6 p.m. | Free
Hosted by Ohio Poet Laureate, Kari Gunter-Seymour, you’re invited to come together in a place of inspiration and reverence, where all voices are welcome and celebrated. This is an open forum for both civilians and Veterans to connect.
Interested in reading your work or performing a song? We’ll have a mic and stand set up with time for twenty people to share. Sign up upon arrival and be prepared to present five minutes of your best work!
FEEL GOOD WRITING WORKSHOP
Saturday, December 2 | 10 a.m.
Unleash your creativity and find joy in the art of writing with a unique writers’ workshop. Ohio Poet Laureate, Kari Gunter-Seymour will guide participants through a journey of self-expression focusing on moments of happiness, capturing the energy of specific spaces and recalling experiences. Through sensory exploration, the group will use eyes, ears, fingers, and noses to connect with the surroundings and express their respective thoughts.
No prior writing experience is necessary.
JustWrite Ohio Spooky Story Contest Deadline is November 3rd!
Spooky Story Contest: Open to all 9-12th Graders in OHIO! (Your school does not have to be registered for the JustWrite Ohio contest to compete.)
Genre: Horror Prompt: A group of friends embark on a daring expedition to explore an abandoned ________. Tell their story.
- How to Enter: A student writes an original story, no more than 750 words in length, that matches the genre and prompt provided here: A group of friends embark on a daring expedition to explore an abandoned ________. Tell their story.
- PDFs of stories and entry forms must be emailed to contests@justwriteohio.org
- The contest begins 10-1-23. Entry deadline 11-3-23 by 5 PM.
- Prizes: The writer of the winning entry will be awarded an Amazon Gift Card. There will be one 9-12th grade winning recipient. The winning entry will be posted to the JustWrite Ohio website.
Power of the Pen Tournament is January 20th at Circleville High School
POWER OF THE PEN-Coach Information for the Central District 1 Tournament
Good Luck to all of the schools/coaches/students who are preparing for the Power of the Pen Central District 1 Tournament at Circleville High School (380 Clark DriveCircleville, OH 43113)!!
Berwick, Coach: Amy Huber/Taylor West
Champion, Coach: Elizabeth Stanley/Kerry Carter
Columbus Africentric MS, Coach: Chiquita Toure/Laura Henry
Columbus Online Academy, Coach: Traci Cottrell/Jennifer Harvey
Dominion, Coach: Tara Cooper/Pattie Niese
Indianola, Coach: Gina McGowan
Ridgeview, Coach: Donella Braddix/Betty Maxwell
Woodward Park, Coach: Nicole Fontaine
World Language, Coach: Sam Leopold
-Each registered middle school can send two teams (6 students for a 7th-grade team and 6 students for an 8th-grade team) with their coach/coaches to a competition. At the tournament, each student will response to one or more prompts. Students who do well in regional tournaments advance to state competitions.
- Here is the Central Region Tournament Page.
- The Coach's Corner area has information about the genres and rubrics to help you prepare for the tournament. Here is the Coach Manual.
- Merch is available.
- Be thinking about how many judges you will bring to the tournament. You need one judge per team (one for 7th and one for 8th). Thus, if you have two coaches and two teams, you are set. If you only have one coach, see if you can get another adult to be a judge.
Curriculum for Secondary English Courses
Overview Video
- This ENGLISH 6-12 CURRICULUM OVERVIEW VIDEO gives you an overview for Secondary English Curriculum.
Curriculum Maps & Folders
Every District English course has a Curriculum Map with a Scope and Sequence detailing a pathway through the course using adopted resources, and each course has a Course Folder with standard, novel, language, and strategy resources. You can find the Curriculum Maps and Course Folders in the places listed below.
1-Linked in these Google Docs:
2-On the English 6-12 Webpage: Use the Curriculum/Instructional Resources Quick Links on the ELA 6-12 Webpage for easy navigation to English Curriculum Maps and Folders.
NOTE: The ELA 6-12 Webpage Quick Links offer much more than the Google Doc with Links for your curriculum needs. They offer teaching strategies, guiding docs, and help with standards, testing, and more. To access many curricular and district items, you must be logged into Google using your CCS credentials and not a personal account.
Secondary Literacy Plan
- The CCS Secondary Literacy Plan provides teaching strategies/PD (how to teach) that can be used with the texts/lessons from your adopted resources (what to teach) to address these components of the plan: Academic Language, Reading Comprehension, Writing Competency, and Classroom Discussion. It 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.
- CCS Secondary Literacy Plan Info Page
Adopted, Intervention, and Supplemental Resources for Secondary English Courses
Course Descriptions and Adopted Curriculum Resources Lists
- Course Resource Spreadsheet with Visuals
- CCS Adopted, Supplemental, and Intervention Resources List
- Course Descriptions Quick Link
Adopted and Intervention Resources
The TIER 1 Instructional Resources
StudySync: English 6-12, Alternate English courses, and some Electives
- StudySync Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
- StudySync Webinars (register for live Webinars)
Bedford Texts/Launchpad: Honors and AP English
- Bedford/Launchpad Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
- Some Elective Courses will have single resource adoptions.
The TIER II/Tier III Intervention Resources and Courses
Resources
- iReady Pathways (6-8) These are below grade level and based upon BOY and MOY. They should not be used for Core instruction.
- Progress to Success (9-12) You can request copies by emailing Carla Mae Phillips.
- Coming Soon (9-11) The RFP Process is almost concluded for this resource. Announcement will be made after boarding.
Courses
- Core Enrichment (6-8) This course can be used for Tiers II/III Intervention.
- College/Career Ready Literacy (6-12) This course can be used for Tiers II/III Intervention.
- OST Test Prep-English (9-12) This course uses Springboard's Reading and Writing Workshop books. You can request copies by emailing Carla Mae Phillips.
Supplemental Resource
TeachingBooks is the site where the lists of novels available for teacher use from the warehouse, the curriculum office, in StudySync, and in Course Folders, are found.
- TeachingBooks Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
- Accessing Novels (Digital and Hard Copy)
Canvas Integration
If you teach English 6-12 or an alternate English credit-bearing course (e.g. Humanities English 9 or 10, Humanities Language Arts 8, Major British Writers Seminar, African American Literature, Women's Literature, Shakespeare's Literature, etc.), you will need to pair your Canvas courses with your StudySync courses. This will give you access to the Curriculum Map divided into Modules and allow for StudySync to sync assignments and grades. Use the orientation video and document below to learn how to integrate Canvas and StudySync.
StudySync/Literacy PD & Professional Articles
STUDYSYNC WEBINARS
OCTOBER
Monday October 30, 2023
- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Explore the StudySync Library Register Now
NOVEMBER
Wednesday November 1, 2023
- 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Keep Reading Relevant: Teaching a Blast Lesson Register Now
Thursday November 2, 2023
- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Increasing Student Engagement and Autonomy Register Now
Friday November 3, 2023
- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Customize Assignments for Personalized Learning Register Now
Monday November 6, 2023
- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Spotlight Skills: Build a Solid Foundation in Any Standard Register Now
Tuesday November 7, 2023
- 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Basic Training: How to Navigate Your New StudySync Account Register Now
Thursday November 9, 2023
- 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Differentiate for All Learners: Tools and Strategies for Students with IEPs Register Now
Monday November 13, 2023
- 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Basic Training: The Reading Routine - Reading & Rigor in StudySync Register Now
Tuesday November 14, 2023
- 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Diversity and Representation in the StudySync Library Register Now
Wednesday November 15, 2023
- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Pairing Literature with Blasts Register Now
Monday November 20, 2023
- 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Basic Training: Create and Grade Assignments Register Now
Tuesday November 21, 2023
- 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM How Administrators Can Best Utilize StudySync Register Now
STUDYSYNC COACHES' COMMUNITY SESSION-THE SCIENCE OF READING
There is an upcoming coaches Webinar on November 15th at 12:00 p.m. that takes a deep dive into the Science of Reading with Dr. Timothy Shanahan. Learn how teachers can build students' reading and writing skills with StudySync. Register Today
TEACHINGBOOKS WEBINAR
Library Team: Engaging Readers with TeachingBooks
Wednesday, November 29 5pm
Resources to help you promote books and hook readers from audio excerpts, Meet-the-Author Recordings, book trailers, and more. Register
RECORDED STUDYSYNC PD & ARTICLES
StudySync for New Users (1:58:28)
- Target Audience: English 6-12 Teachers who are new to StudySync (Adopted Resource)
The Reading Routine: Reading and Rigor in StudySync (54:50) Passcode: +p5mbg.M
- Target Audience: English 6-12 Teachers
From Tweets to Tomes: How Students Write in StudySync (60:00)
- Session Resources: Extended Writing Project; Data-driven Decision Making + EWP; Conducting Impactful Student Conferences; Student Generated Questions; Metacognitive Skill Building; Ongoing Self-Assessment Document; Tips for writing every day
- Target Audience: English 6-12 Teachers
Spark Collaborative Conversations Using StudySync (61:00)
- Slides Link and Resources: Slide Deck; StudySync TV; SyncTV 2 Column Chart
- Target Audience: English 6-12 Teachers
Scaffolding in StudySync (63:36) Passcode: kE#d9G6J
- Target Audience: English 6-12 Teachers
STUDYSYNC ARTICLES
Exploring the Role of StudySync Vocabulary in the Science of Reading New
Blast + Texts Pairings: Thrilling Tales New
Close Reading: StudySync's Routine
Writing Every Day with StudySync: 3 Tips for the New School Year,
Interpreting StudySync in the Classroom
About the AI Series AI Literacy Lessons and ELA Blasts are coming soon, and will explore its history and explain what it means for your classroom.
Visit the StudySync Blog for articles on curriculum resources, program authors' tips, StudySync's pedagogy, and more.
OHIO LITERACY ACADEMY ON DEMAND
Literacy Academy on Demand from the Ohio Department of Education offers easily accessible professional learning about literacy for grades K-12. In each short course, educators will find:
- A short video from a nationally recognized expert on literacy instruction;
- Resources and tools to use in the classroom, coaching sessions or team meetings;
- Reflection questions to help review current practices and implement new learning; and
- Additional resource recommendations to expand educator learning.
Courses should take 30-60 minutes to complete. Users can take one or two courses to learn about a specific topic or multiple courses to get a more comprehensive understanding of literacy instruction and concepts.
Grades 6-12 Courses: All educators in middle and high school, including content area teachers, can play a significant role in improving students' reading, writing and communication. These courses can benefit teachers, coaches, directors and administrators who support classroom instruction, and any educator who wants to learn more about adolescent literacy.
Some Teacher Opportunities
NCTE23 IS IN COLUMBUS THIS NOVEMBER!
Registration is OPEN for NCTE23 which happens on November 16-19th at the Columbus Convention Center. Be sure to check into any opportunities throughout the district to get fees paid to attend the conference or arrange to volunteer during the convention (see image below) to go for free!! Check out the NCTE23 Conference Webpage HERE for information about speakers, sessions, etc.
Buckeye Book Fair
The 36th annual Buckeye Book Fair is happening November 4th at Greystone Event Center 50 Riffel Road in Wooster, Ohio 44691. Here is a a comprehensive list of authors attending the Buckeye Book Fair. Find out more at https://buckeyebookfair.org.
OCTELA 24: Raising Our Voices: How Place and Space Shape Us as Writers and Thinkers
Saturday, March 2, 2024 with an evening event on March 1; Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center
- Tom Romano, Friday Evening Speaker
- Kelly Gallagher, Saturday Morning Speaker
- Robin Echols Cooper, Saturday Luncheon Speaker
- Dave Lucas, Saturday Afternoon Speaker
Learn more at the Conference Registration page.
VIRTUAL POETRY EVENTS FROM FOLGER
What is... Iconoclasm?
Live on Zoom
Free, registration required. Thursday, November 2nd at 3 pm. The “What is…?” series invites you to an open conversation on important early modern ideas and how they relate to our modern world. This month, we ask how the early modern history of religious iconoclasm—the intentional destruction of images and symbols—might help us better understand our present moment. Learn more and Register Here.
Book Club on Zoom: Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit
Virtual on Zoom
We'll discuss TaraShea Nesbit's riveting novel about the first recorded murder in the fledgling colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The discussion will happen on November 9th at 6:30pm. Learn more and register here.
New Folger T-shirt in honor of teachers! CONTEST! Folger wants to produce a new Folger t-shirt in honor of teachers. Several years ago, they produced one that boldly said, “The Fiercest People On Earth TEACH.” They want to produce another “teacher praise” shirt, especially for teachers, and especially NOW when the world needs to be reminded how wildly important teachers are.
- What should this t-shirt say? You know best!
- Send them your ideas, please. Send an email to Auriel Haack at ahaack@folger.edu. Subject line: T-SHIRT. Include your idea(s) and also who you are, your contact info (name, best email, cell number), and where you teach.
- If they use your idea on the new shirt: A celebration for you at the Folger! Main event: a special insiders tour—all the Folger’s nooks and crannies, including some very old books and a play--for you and 3 fam/friends.
- Deadline for entries: Friday, November 10th
Evie Shockley,The Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute, December 5, 2023 | 7:30pm (ET)
Virtual on Zoom
Poet and literary scholar Evie Shockley will read from her writing and the poems of Emily Dickinson in this annual birthday tribute. Get tickets
Camille T. Dungy, BLOOM: A Virtual Poetry Workshop, February 26, 2024 | 6:30pm (ET)
Virtual on Zoom
In this virtual workshop acclaimed poet and essayist Camille T. Dungy, along with a horticulturalist, will present a generative poetry workshop with a botanical theme. Sign up
SOME UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS
- Monday, November 6th, 7pm Attention all film lovers! Award-winning editor and film critic and vice-chair of the New York Film Critics Circle Matt Singer shares his recounting of the powerful partnership of two unlikely film critics in his book, Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever. Matt will be in conversation with Drexel Theatre Director Jeremy Henthorn. Register Now!
- Monday, November 13th, 5-7pm An author, a literary thriller, and an event you won’t want to miss! Join New York Times bestselling author of Descent and The Current, Tim Johnston, as he shares Distant Sons, an intricate, haunting novel sure to resonate with readers of Dennis Lehane, James Lee Burke, and Cormac McCarthy. This special ticketed early evening literary reception brings back Gramercy’s “Prosecco and Prose” series! Tickets are $50 and include an author talk and meet ‘n greet, a glass of Prosecco and hors d’oeuvres, plus a copy of Johnston’s novel which he will sign at the event. Get tickets!
- Tuesday, December 5th, 7pm Between Two Worlds. Join noted historian and author Robin Judd as she launches her book, Between Two Worlds: Jewish War Brides After the Holocaust. Dr. Judd will be in conversation with Birgitte Søland, an expert in European and women’s gender history. Get tickets!
MICROFICTION CHALLENGE
The 250-word Microfiction Challenge is Open for Registration! The 5th annual 250-word Microfiction Challenge kicks off on Friday, December 8th, and will challenge writers worldwide to create very short stories based on genre, action, and word assignments in 24 hours. Feedback from the judges is provided for every submission, writers keep all the rights to the stories they create, and there are thousands in cash prizes for the winners. Learn more, register, and read previous winning stories at the link below. Good luck, writers! Learn More & Register.
COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY AUTHOR TALKS
The Sesquicentennial Author Series: Author Talks at Main Library
- Jason Mott, Sunday, Dec. 10 | 2 p.m. Jason Mott is a poet and a National Book Award-winning novelist. Read more about the author here. REGISTER NOW
LIT CON: COLUMBUS
LitCon, the largest K-8 literacy conference in North America—now in its 39th year, is being held in Columbus on January 27-30! The conference is brought to you by the Reading Recovery Council of North America (RRCNA) for the broader literacy education community. Attendees will be among the first to know about current research findings, critical news, and leading practices in K-8 literacy education that go beyond theory to actual practice. Engage in LitCon to tap exclusive resources and build special bonds to move childhood literacy and Reading Recovery forward. Jason Reynolds is the Keynote Speaker. Check out the LitCon Conference Site for information about other speakers, sessions, registration, etc.
Some Student Opportunities
THURBER HOUSE YOUNG WRITERS' STUDIO
"DON'T GET IT RIGHT, JUST GET IT WRITTEN." - JAMES THURBER
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, any student in grades 9-12 is invited to gather for an opportunity to spend time with others who also like to write. 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 $17, or $115 for the season, and can be paid in advance by registering online. There are also have a limited number of scholarships available for students who would like to attend. For more information or to inquire about a scholarship, please email Meg Brown at megbrown@thurberhouse.org.
Tuesday, October 31st from 6:30–8:30 pm ET
Tuesday, November 14th from 6:30–8:30 pm ET
Tuesday, November 28th from 6:30–8:30 pm ET
MADLAB SHORT PLAY CONTEST
SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES FOR YOUNG WRITERS 2024!
Each playwright may submit only one play.
Plays must run approximately 10 minutes.
All plays should include a cover sheet that includes play name, playwright's name, your teacher's name, and your high school's name; a list of characters; set and prop needs.
For complete Young Writers Short Play Festival 24 play submission guidelines and for details on how to submit your play, click this link.
Any questions? See the MadLab site or E-mail MadLab Artistic Director James Blackmon directly at JamesB@MadLab.net.
NCTE STUDENT WRITING AWARDS
Student Writing Awards
Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th and 11th grade students)
This school-based writing program encourages high school students in their writing and publicly recognizes some of the best student writers in the nation.
Deadline February 15
Promising Young Writers (for 8th grade students)
This school-based writing program stimulates and recognizes student’s writing talents and emphasizes the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students.
Deadline February 15
POETRY OUT LOUD COMPETITION
The registration is now open for the 2024 POETRY OUT LOUD NATIONAL RECITATION CONTEST!
- Here is the Poetry Out Loud Ohio site.
- Here is the School Registration Form.
- The Deadline to Register is November 15. See all deadlines here.
- This POL teacher resource page is full of information about selecting poems and organizing school competitions. It also has lesson plans and judging tools.
-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, 19 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.
BUCKEYE CHILDREN'S AND TEEN BOOK AWARDS VOTING
The Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Awards is Ohio’s readers’ choice book award program is one of the few readers’ choice awards in which students make all the nominations and vote for the winners. The 2023 voting period continues through Nov. 10 at www.bcbookaward.info. There is a button for students to vote directly and a button for teachers and librarians who collect student votes to send them in bulk.
6-8 Nominees- Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King
- Hooky (Vol. 1) by Míriam Bonastre Tur
- Play Like a Girl by Misty and David Wilson
- The Messengers (Greystone Secrets vol. 3) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
- Worser by Jennifer Ziegler
- Heartstopper (Vol. 4) by Alice Oseman
- Lore by Alexandra Bracken
- The Promised Neverland (Vol. 20) by Kaui Shirai, illus. by Posuka Demizu
- Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry
Song for November
Contact Information
Carla Mae Phillips
Southland Center, Suite 125
Previous Newsletters are available on the CCS ELA 6-12 Webpage.
Email: cphillips3865@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/English6-12
Location: 3700 South High Street, Columbus, OH, 43207, USA
Phone: (380) 997-0463