You see the world
as brilliant,
simply stunning!
by Raechell, 10th grade
Writers in the Schools (WITS) Celebrates Kids–in their own Words
Author Archives:
Try It, You’ll Like It
One of our goals at Writers in the Schools is to get kids to LOVE reading and writing. This is easier with some students than others. And for our more reluctant writers, sometimes we have to venture out into their world, allowing them to have fun with their imaginations. For kids who thrive on fare such as Captain Underpants or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the challenge of writing a disgusting recipe or yucky menu is met with glee. Would you eat in this bistro?
Gross‐Out Menu
Drinks:
Wormy Water $.50
Maggot Margarita $2
Blueberry Booger Smoothie $1.50
Appetizers:
Moldy Mac‐&‐Cheese $10
Sautéed Spinach in Spit $15
Main Course:
Rubbish Ravioli $20
Mucus Meatloaf $20
Dessert:
Manure Chocolate Mousse $15By Sasha, 3rd grade
Very Valentine
You may be racing to trouble
Slivers of glass, open the door
Under the sun, across utopia
What you can’t see, you may not be.
Imagine new worlds inspired
Think bigger
Behind closed doors, I’m taking control.
Desire, I’m in your life
Watch and learn.
Love.
by Richard, 11th grade
(image created with typoGenerator)
Calling All Young Emerging Artists
Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park Emerging Artists Program
An Invitation to Houston Area Art Teachers and Students!
The Bayou City Art Festival invites currently enrolled high school students to submit art installation proposals. The 2012 Emerging Artist Program features outdoor, site-specific student work. Selected applicants will display their artwork at the Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park, March 23 – 25, 2012.
The Emerging Artist Program provides promising student artists with an exceptional opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional venue, interact with talented artists, and experience the jury process.
Submission Rules:
All student proposals must be approved and submitted by a teacher.
All applications must be complete with information form, sketch, and proposed budget.
Individual student proposals are encouraged, group proposals of up to five (5) students are allowed.
Proposed installations must withstand inclement weather or have proper covering in case of wind and rain. Please note that installations cannot be attached to park trees or disturb the natural surroundings of the park.
The deadline for proposal submission is Friday, February 10, 2012.
The selected ten (10) installation proposals will receive a $200 stipend for materials and construction costs. The festival judges will judge the Emerging Artists installations on-site and award certificates and prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. First prize: $200 for the artist and $200 for the school. Second prize: $150 for the artist and $150 for the school. Third prize: $100 for the artist and $100 for the school.
For more information e-mail Sarah House, at sarah@bayoucityartfestival.com.
A Winter Wish
Wishing you love, peace, and blankets,
Your friends at Writers in the Schools
Hanukkah Poem
Light the glittering candles
Chant the ancient prayers
Spin the colorful dreidels
Eat the crunchy latkes
Sing a holiday song
Remember a Jewish miracle
Tear open a hundred gifts!
By Sam
Dear Tristan
Image by Deanna Design via Flickr
I am just sitting here on the slide
watching the clouds pass by,
thinking of you. I miss your vibrant
colored shoes. I miss how your elegant
voice said to me, “I love you.”
I miss your brown glossy eyes. I miss
your loose bangs. I miss how you kept me
from danger. I miss how you looked at me
whenever you were mad. You were always
taller than me, like mom and dad.
You are like a dress in a one-of-a-kind store.
If you were here, I would be much happier.
by Sabrina, 3rd grade
More
Image by mikebaird via Flickr
Songbirds singing
Trees waving in the wind
The sound of people talking
The sound of cars zooming by
The smell of freshly cut grass
The vision of doves flying overhead
You can feel this dream making
More and more of itself.
by Ty, 4th grade
Make Your Own Movies with Xtranormal
Did you ever want to make an animated movie? Using the Xtranormal Movie Maker, now you can. Simply choose your characters, type out the dialogue, and watch. Have fun!
Writers Tell Their Houston Stories on November 12th
What: Houston Inside Out: A Symposium
Who: Rosellen Brown, Robb Walsh, Bao-Long Chu, Roger Wood, and Gwendolyn Zepeda
Where: Houston Public Library, Central Branch, 500 McKinney St.
When: Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Cost: FREE and open to all!
Top Posts for November 2011
photo by SugarCubeVintage via flickr
Tonight’s the Night!
The Celebration of Story benefiting Writers in the Schools (WITS) is tonight. Proceeds will provide WITS literary programs for low-income kids across Houston. Join us?
Get Your Art On at the WITS Celebration of Story
The WITS Celebration of Story will be held at 7pm on Thursday, November 3rd, and proceeds from this fundraising event will provide year-long literary programs for low-income children. 15 Houston artists have donated work for the silent auction. The list includes Wendy Wagner, Nicola Parente, and Liz Conces Spencer. Here are a few of the works that will be sold:
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Organic Peaceby Richard Varela |
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The Wheel of Life (Dripping Springs) 2011by Van McFarland |
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Untitled, 2011by Michael Guidry |
Kids Can Start Stories on the Web
Sometimes the blank page can be a little intimidating. Here are a few sites that can help young writers get started in fiction writing.
1) The Story Starters application on the Scholastic site is for students in graders K-6. It looks like a funky machine with flashing lights and lurching mechanical sounds. It makes writing similar to a mad scientist’s experiment.
2) Story Starter Jr. provides a first line for a story, and then you take it from there. Examples include:
The doctor was crying in the secret room.
or
The boy was painting in the elevator.
There are 729 sentences in the program, however the sentences are not especially diverse.
3) My Story Maker is an application on the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh site and it is the most whimsical of the three. The story is created by answering a series of questions. Typically there are 6 choices for each question. The result is an illustrated story with background music and sound effects.
If you have a favorite website for fiction writing, please share the link in the comment section.
FREE Event: Writers Celebrate Their Houston Neighborhoods
This Thursday a project called Writing & C/Siting Houston presents personal essayists on the topic, Old Neighborhoods, New Neighbors. Four local writers will delve into their chosen Houston sites:
Nimmi Jayathurai, “Banana Leaves and Migrant Passages”
Raj Mankad, “America Varshe, America Kande: Hinduism, Ornament, and the Suburban Box”
Thomas Meloncon, “My Fifth Ward”
Gwendolyn Zepeda, “The Old Sixth Ward District (or, as we used to call it, Del Sesto)”
When: Thursday, October 20, 2011, 7:00 pm
Where: Robertson Auditorium, University of Houston-Downtown Please click here for free parking information
Cost: FREE
