Had a great visit at Ridgeview Elementary yesterday in Springfield, Oregon. The occasion was to celebrate the recent Human Hall of Fame Writing Contest. I asked kids to nominate and then make a case for that person to become a member of the Human Hall of Fame. (Of course, there is not a HHoF at this time, but hopefully one day there will be.)
I received entries from several different schools, but I’m pleased to announce that Riverbend had the most entries which, of course, provided them with the best odds of winning. And they did! Joel Booren, a fourth grader in Mrs. McCornack’s class, wrote the winning entry about Martin Luther King, Jr. He made a strong case for King, using interesting details in an easy-to-follow organization. There was a strong voice in his writing and I could tell Joel’s commitment to his choice.
Congratulations to Joel, and to everyone who entered. There were many strong entries, which made it very difficult to select a winner. But I think all who entered are winners because they researched and discovered. That’s what learning is all about.
Joel won a signed copy of The Magic of A.C. Gilbert for himself, and a set of the books for his class to use. These books will be shared with the other fourth grade classes as well, so all the students will be able read the book and participate in the activities that go with it.
Congratulations as well to the teachers who guided students in this project. With all the classroom demands these days, I know how challenging it can be to do a project such as this. However, the quality of the writing and the excitement of the kids I saw leads me to believe it was worth the effort.
As I mentioned to the group, Ridgeview is a special place for me. It was there that I did my very first Author Visit during the winter of 1989. Since then, I’ve done hundreds of Author Visits, from as near as my local school to as far as Argentina. But it was that first visit that I remember best, and what a great experience it was!
Addressing the 4th grade troops
Joel Booren, winner of the Human Hall of Fame Writing Contest
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