Keep the Sharing of Ideas Fresh with “Writing Idea Swap”

November 2015 eNewsletter

Keep the Sharing of Ideas Fresh with “Writing Idea Swap”

WriteSteps is Hiring!

Emil Carafa Receives NAESP National Distinguished Principal Award

Vote for Kresta Byington to Present at #NCSC16

“What’s New” Button in eWriteSteps

Classroom Poster Bundle

Writing Giggle of the Month

TeacherFeature: Using Technology to Publish Student Writing

Upcoming Conferences
“Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning.”
~Unknown
Keep the Sharing of Ideas Fresh with “Writing Idea Swap”
November 16-20 is American Educator Week, which aims to honor educators who are making a difference to ensure every child receives a quality education. Quality education begins with administrators and teachers who never stop striving to improve their skills. Whether it’s related to honing their leadership skills or their teaching skills, they know that learning is a lifelong process.

Here are two professional development resources that can be used to improve writing instruction. “Writing Idea Swap” is useful for administrators, and the “Teacher Glows and Grows” quiz is beneficial for teachers. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of children!
  1. Keep the sharing of ideas related to teaching writing fresh! Tap into the talents of your staff with the document “Writing Idea Swap.” Use “Writing Idea Swap” to facilitate staff meeting discussions related to writing.
  2. Take the quiz, “Teacher Glows and Grows,” and use it as a personal professional development evaluation. It will help you determine your strengths and weaknesses in your writing instruction. By being proactive and making careful preparations, you begin to create a well-managed, successful atmosphere for writing.


WriteSteps is Hiring!
Do you have optimism and grit? Are you a retired educator looking to supplement your pension? We are looking for Awareness Ambassadors to help spread the word about WriteSteps. We are seeking educators who would like to work from home and educators who would like to represent WriteSteps in their state.

“Promoting WriteSteps grants me the opportunity to continue making a difference in the classroom, in addition to fueling my passion for helping students reach their full potential. Who knew the second act would prove to be yet another exciting and rewarding adventure!” -Jan Polavin, former teacher and now WriteSteps’ Awareness Ambassador

Please contact Cheryl Daniel at [email protected] for further information.

Emil Carafa Receives the NAESP National Distinguished Principal of the Year Award
Congratulations to WriteSteps’ principal, Emil Carafa, who received the National Association of Elementary School Principals National Distinguished Principal of the Year Award for the state of New Jersey in Washington D.C. last month!

“Emil Carafa has been an invaluable principal that has gone above and beyond helping to spread the word about WriteSteps after his school purchased our program,” said Suzanne Klein, Founder and CEO. “I couldn’t think of a principal more deserving of this award. His passion for his students and staff truly shows, and we are very proud of his accomplishments.”

Vote for Kresta Byington to Present at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Conference
WriteSteps’ principal Kresta Byington submitted a session to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools 2016 National Charter Schools Conference (NCSC16) and we need your vote to help her secure a presenter slot!

To vote for her, visit the official #NCSC16 Session Selector here and search for her session, “Write to the Top- Essential Tools for Assessment Success,” or find her by name. Voting is open now through November 11.

Once you enter your email address and create a free account, all you have to do is give the thumbs up for her session, “Write to the Top-Essential Tools for Assessment Success.” It takes about 3 minutes to do.

The entire WriteSteps team appreciates you taking the time to vote for Kresta’s session!



“What’s New” Button in eWriteSteps
If you haven’t noticed, there’s a new button when you log in to your eWriteSteps account titled “What’s New in eWriteSteps.”

The button was created to inform you of the curriculum updates happening in eWriteSteps every month. When the button is orange, make sure you click it to see the list of improvements that have been made. Once clicked, the button will remain gray until the next monthly update is released.

Classroom Poster Bundle
This month you can receive the following three posters!
  1. Linking Ideas Using Words, Phrases, and Clauses
  2. The More You Write, The More You Know
  3. Writing is a Voyage of Discovery

TeacherFeature: Using Technology to Publish Student Writing
Terri Caldwell-Ayre, a fourth grade teacher, shares a classroom management tip related to using technology to publish student writing. Check it out by clicking on the link below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWC4_KWL7uE&feature=youtu.be

Celebrating Your Success!
Barb Tilley, a third grade teacher at Mintonye Elementary, sent us the message below. Thank you for sharing this with us. We are thrilled to hear your students understand the value of “glows” and “grows”!

“This is my 2nd year teaching with WriteSteps, and I’m feeling more confident and moving faster than I did the first year. We’ve been sharing our personal narratives this week and it makes me smile to hear my students share “glows” and “grows”! We’ve been practicing with different read alouds, and I always ask the class to share a “glow” about the author’s writing style, vivid words, etc., and then a “grow” if they can think of how a story could be better. I love the idea of a compliment (glow) and an area to work on (grow). My students are getting that message and understanding the value of those two little words and how they can make a big difference in being an audience for an author! Thank you to WriteSteps for this idea!”-Barb Tilley, Mintonye Elementary, 3rd Grade

We want to celebrate your successes! Please email Anjilla Young at [email protected] to share how WriteSteps has made an impact in your school and/or classroom. We will send a mystery present to you when you send us a story!

Writing Giggle of the Month
Do you have a funny student writing piece you can send us? If so, send it to [email protected] to be featured in an upcoming eNewsletter!

Source: BuzzFeed


Upcoming Conferences
November 9-11, Saratoga Springs, NY
WriteSteps will be at the New York State Reading Association Conference at the Saratoga Hilton and Convention Center. Stop by and say hello to Kim Gates! While there, you can sign up for a free trial to eWriteSteps.

November 12-13, Cleveland, OH
Stop by the WriteSteps booth at the Ohio Catholic Education Association Conference and say hi to Awareness Ambassador Michelle Cutting. She will be able to answer any questions you have about WriteSteps.

November 16-17, Louisville, KY
Kathleen Schutter will be at the Kentucky Association of Elementary School Principals Conference. Stop by our booth to learn more about WriteSteps and enter to win a one-year subscription to eWriteSteps!

November 23, Rochester, NY
Joanna Van Raden is presenting, “Blending the Writing Workshop to Engage and Motivate Learners” during the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies Conference. Make sure you are in the Highland C room during Session G on November 23 from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

“Learn as if you were to live forever.”
~Mahatma Ghandi

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