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Chester County Press

Young Writers Fair showcases the best work of young students

05/19/2015 03:04PM ● By Steven Hoffman

On Thursday, May 7, Penn London Elementary School students showcased their best stories, poems, and illustrated books in the school’s 27th annual Young Writers Fair.

Stacey Varone, a literacy reading specialist at Penn London Elementary, helped coordinate this year’s event. She said that the showcase encourages the students to work hard on their projects, and the results of that work get better each year.

“I think [the Young Writers Fair] is a motivation for the students,” she said. “This is their best work and they are proud of it. I also think, through the years, the teachers along with their students have gotten more creative with their ideas of how to publish their students’ work. It’s a team effort.”

This year, one class wrote about animals that can be found in Pennsylvania in connection with a science unit that they were studying. Another class created books that were based on B.J. Novak’s popular book, “The Book With No Pictures.” Another class focused on creating a poetry book. Kindergarten students displayed their Kid Writing Journals.

During the fair, parents got the opportunity to see the work of the students.

Mrs. Hawkes was there with her sons, Adam and Joshua. Joshua is a sixth-grader. who previously participated in the Young Writers Fair. Adam is a second-grader who wrote a book based on “The Book With No Pictures.” In Adam’s book, the narrator is a teacher who is talking about maps and food. The book used many different fonts and sizes for the letters.

Hawkes said that the Young Writers Fair encourages students to develop a love of writing.

“My one son is a natural writer and my other one is a reluctant writer,” she said. “He loves to read, but isn’t as enthusiastic about writing.”

As a parent, Hawkes likes that the writing assignments can be fun, even silly, and will encourage youngsters to write on their own.

Teachers also think that the Young Writers Fair is an important opportunity for students.

“The students did an awesome job,” said Eleanor Barron, a teacher in the district for 14 years. “The students chose their topics. They did research reports. They got specific information on the animals that they wrote about—where does the animal live? What does the animal eat?”

Librarian Corinne Palovitch assisted the students with this research.

Varone said that teachers deserve a lot of credit for the work that they do for the Young Writers Fair. It’s a collaborative effort that involves the entire Penn London Elementary community.

Barron said that everyone looks forward to the fair because it’s a way to showcase the students’ work.

“These are young children here and look at what they have produced,” she said. “It’s just amazing. They are very proud of their work.”