Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/133180
¸ short story, she ensures the underpinnings of solid writing. Kloehn helps students to focus on organization, flow, sentence variety, rich vocabulary and voice. Each middle school writer follows a process of pre-writing, draft writing, independent self-editing with a checklist, peer editing, and a one-on-one work with the teacher. Through the middle school years, students explore paragraph writing, analytical essays, short stories, poetry and letter writing. Having a distinct language arts class provides additional writing instruction. Students work on grammar, style, format and mechanics. In sixth and seventh grade, the English teacher is present in the writing lab along with the language arts teacher, facilitating individualized instruction. Middle School Director Debra Sampey believes that "writing is hard work." "A good writer is not just the person with the best ideas. Writing is a real skill," says Sampey. "We want to create an investment in the process, making writing exciting and enjoyable." Finding One s Voice ' "Ultimately, clarity is at the center of good writing in the upper school," explains Upper School English Department Chair Jeff Windus. "Ideas fueling student writing are complex and insightful, and one of our goals is helping their writing get caught up with their thinking." Teaching ninth grade English as well as electives, Windus seizes opportunities to help students explore their writing. The focus on ninth grade writing is voice. Although new assessments provide more creative opportunities for students, Windus suggests "the thesisdriven essay remains at the foundation of all upper school writing." When Windus meets with a student he ¸ "A good writer is not just the person with the best ideas. Writing is a real skill. We want to create an investment in the process, making writing exciting and enjoyable." – Middle School Director Deb Sampey 26 Latin Magazine "Time slowed as I rolled down the familiar narrow streets. The past three years blurred together in swirling Technicolor before me, and the only sound I heard was the ghost of Jennifer's voice" excerpt from Shelby Brody's novel Jennifer Sharp.