Happy Start to the Week -- and the Year -- at Roslyn Elementary School

In today's pic you will see something that makes me super happy: WRITERS WRITING! And especially YOUNG WRITERS WRITING!

I have kicked off my 2025 school visits with two mornings of writing workshops at Roslyn Elementary School. I will be there for two more mornings this month. What makes the visits extra-special for me is that I'm working with Grade Two students and that their teacher Ms. Marcus used to be MY STUDENT when she went to Marianopolis College here in Montreal. Ms. Marcus's students were WOW-ed when I told them that. A few nearly fell off their chairs!

I'll be seeing each of Ms. Marcus's Grade Two classes twice. In my first workshop, I share writing tips and try to get the kids working on their own stories. In the second workshops, I'll be helping the students develop their ideas and edit their work.

I told the student I'm a little like a bird building a nest -- always looking for stuff to include in my stories. I told them how, in particular, I look for things that are funny, odd, sad or deep. And of course, I explained how stories need trouble to give them energy.

I took a page-and-a-half of notes during my time with the kids, so I'm going to go ahead and share some of my favourite moments.

When I showed the students the journal I keep every day, I explained how it's my way of keeping my writing muscles in good shape. This prompted a student named Filip to say: ""You have to practice. I had a hockey game yesterday, and I'll practice before the next game." Exactly, Filip!

I asked the students to do a mini-writing exercise at the start of my workshops. I had them finish the sentence that begins "I like...." Some of the answers were: pizza, hockey games, and you! (You, in case you need me to explain it, was ME!! haha)

Rory told me, "I have about one hundred books in my house." Graydon said, "I love writing" and later Graydon used the word "vengeance," which is pretty impressive for a student in Grade Two!

When I introduced the subject of revision and how it could be the most important part of writing, Mosi knew what the word revise meant: "When you look back at what you already did and it makes sense." Correct! Although sometimes what you already did doesn't make sense! (That happens to me quite a lot!)

Arya had a great question: "How do you know when you write a book that somebody else didn't already write it?" I explained that when an author gets an idea for a book, it's usually wise to do an Internet search and make sure there is nothing too similar already on the market.

I also explained that details help bring a story to life. That's why I loved when Tilia told us, "I practice gymnastics every day on my mother's bed." Can't you just see Tilia bouncing on the bed and hear the bed springs creaking? And I loved when Vivian wrote how she "had a dog who ate flies." A fly-eating dog is another unforgetable detail for a story.

In my last workshop today, I asked the students to remember something weird that happened to them. (I had explained that memories can sometimes provide the seeds for a story.) I'll end today's blog entry with my two favourite opening sentences that came from the exercise. Ready?

Magalie started her story like this: "My cat's head was in a Cheetos bag."

See why I like that so much? It makes me laugh and also want to keep reading! Super work, Magalie!

And Laurence, who happens to sit next to Magalie and be her friend, wrote: "I never know why almost every dog hates my dad."

I chuckled just typing that line for you! I'm looking forward to the rest of your story, Laurence!

So thanks to the second graders I met at Roslyn Elementary School, my 2025 is off to a great start. I hope yours is too. Thanks to Ms. Marcus for the invite, and to the kids for being deeeelightful. Now work on those stories, so I can give you some feedback during my next visit!