Dresden students embrace I Love to Write Day

The next John Grisham or Mary Higgins Clark could be a Dresden elementary student.

Preschool through fifth-grade students participated in “I Love to Write Day” Monday with a variety of activities.

I Love to Write Day was started eight years ago by Delaware author John Riddle. According to ilovetowrite.org, Riddle started the writing day to have people of all ages practice their writing skills by writing a poem, an essay or a letter. Last year more than 20,000 schools across the country held special writing events to celebrate the day. Riddle said the possibilities on I Love to Write Day are endless because someone could start a novel, finish a novel or write a love letter.

Dresden’s day of writing began with a speech by local author Vicki Grove, who has penned 14 novels for middle grade or young adult readers. Grove also has authored numerous short stories and articles. Grove shared memories of her childhood that led her to her writing career and gave the students advice on writing. “Use yourself,” Grove said. “It is more fun to find your own story.”

Grove, who was raised on a pig farm in rural Illinois, said a third-grade teacher sparked her interest in
storytelling.

“I wanted to write about octopus fishing or movie stars,” she said. “I thought no one would want to read about a pig farm.”

But, a school paper written about Grove’s mother using money saved to buy her daughter a stuffed animal garnered the budding author a high grade and a special place on the school’s bulletin board for open house.

From that point on, Grove used her personal experiences and observations to write her stories.

“I learned you should write about what you care about,” she said, “and you can tell someone something in writing that you might not be able to tell them otherwise.”

Grove showed the students several toys she uses in her writing process including a family of rabbits and several wooden houses.

“I use the toys to work out memory scenes in my mind,” she said.

Following the writing assembly, the students headed to their classrooms to begin the day’s writing activities.

Students in communication arts teacher Elaine Detherage’s class read a Batman comic book and watched a Batman movie before writing a persuasive essay related to either the book or the movie.

Fourth- and fifth-grade students made journals and candles before traveling to the McVey School, or Little Red Schoolhouse, to write essays on the importance of candles to the pioneers. Fifth-grade teacher Jami Kahle said the students would use quills and berry ink to write the essays.

The students also used their history knowledge of pioneers to write poetry and candle-making directions.
First-grade students in Sheryl Gerke’s class made turkey cookies and then wrote the directions to assemble the cookies. Gerke said the exercise would strengthen both listening and writing skills. Second-grade students in Deana Pomajzl’s class wrote to pen pals and began pages for a class book.

Pomajzl said she was looking forward to working with the students on their writing skills.

“I enjoy this age group and I have some very talented writers,” she said. “I’m encouraging them to write how they are similar to their pen pal in their letters.”

Other activities included writing about music and developing and illustrating playground rules.

“We wanted to provide the students with an experience and then have them write about it,” Principal Susan McNeal said. “We plan to make I Love to Write Day an annual event.”