Young writers blossom at 2rs4Fun
The latest group of third and fourth graders who started working with adult mentors on their writing at the start of the 2014-15 school year have just published their prose and poetry.
Hot off the press and ready for prime time. That’s the latest edition of the 2rs4Fun booklet created by third and fourth grade Shelter Island students who with the guidance of mentors learn to express themselves through prose and poetry.Retired teacher Mary Dwyer launched the program in 2008, pulling on Island friends willing to work with the young students to help them develop their writing skills. From the outset, the Shelter Island Educational Fund jumped in with money to help the program get off the ground and the library, which has been home to the weekly writing program, continues to make it an official project on its schedule.
A dozen mentors have worked with five third graders and seven fourth graders since the fall session began. Another 18 adults have volunteered as substitute mentors for days when the regulars couldn’t make a session.
Students demonstrated a great deal of creativity and imagination in their writing, as well as tales of their own life experiences.
Third grader Alfie Brigham wrote about plans to power cows to fly and a second piece about zombies in New York City climbing skyscrapers. Ultimately, he wrote, “Everybody turned into a zombie and the human race was over.”
Andrea Napoles, a fourth grader, focused on flying pigs as did classmate Ben Waife.
Zombies were on the mind of fourth grader Jeremy Sabatel and Kaitlyn Gulluscio.
And her classmate Chris Heins imagined a field trip where all adults disappeared.
From fourth grader Cassandra Espinoza came a tale about a family of Ninjas that might well be a hint of early feminist roots as she wrote about how the brothers in the family told their sister only boys could be Ninjas. But she proved her mettle, demonstrating moves “better than theirs.”
Fourth grader Mary Gennari-Shepherd wrote about living on a farm and the daily chores that were hers. And then she joked that already besieged with animals, her mom wanted to get a sheep.
“The funny thing about that is our last name is Shepherd,” she wrote.
From Jonathan Rivera comes a family tale of being separated from older siblings who live in Puerto Rico
A tubing adventure in West Neck Harbor captured the attention of fourth grader Bazzy Quigley-Dunning.
And Cooper Renault, in grade three, writes about a love of fast cars, but dangerous encounters and his imagined sense of being able to “respawn” after a violent encounters.
Fourth grader Henry Lowell-Liszanckie offered a view of a youth’s fun activities, including bowling, basketball, dodge ball and trampoline jumping while also letting his imagination loose in a story about a haunted house filled with bats, witches and dark lava.
The program for the budding writers and their mentors winds up with an upcoming ice cream social.
