by Cindy Plantecoste, MS Dean of Academics
This week, MS teachers and students have had the opportunity to engage in a wide array of learning experiences with Penny Kittle (professional development coordinator, literacy coach, teacher, university professor, author of numerous books on reading and writing), and Matt de la Peña (award- winning author of young adult novels and picture books).
Over the course of the week, many of our students participated in labsites with Penny, and class discussions with Matt, where they were immersed in words, poetry, and text. Students and teachers have been writing alongside of text, listening to and creating poetry, conferencing about their reading, learning about the craft of writing, and getting inspired about what to read next!
In addition to the work happening in classrooms, our MS English and Social Studies teachers have had rich sessions of professional learning that will underpin future improvements to our programs in the MS. Furthermore, many of our teachers are joining educators from around the world who are participating in the Adolescent Literacy Summit, taking place at ISB throughout the weekend.
We encourage you to speak with your children about their reading and writing experiences this week!