WRITE NOW!
Summer Writing Camps
2016
for grades 2-8
E very summer, Emerson School of Palo Alto and Hacienda School of Pleasanton open their doors and offer their innova- tive programs in a camp-like setting to outside students who want to share in the summer learning adventures. Expository Writing —focuses on the four subjects of the California Writing Tests, prose forms used in school assignments, the processes of selecting a topic and outlining the content, and writing mechanics (word choice, sentence structure, variety, etc.). Emerson: 7/11-7/15; Hacienda: 7/25-7/29 Creative Writing —concentrates on a variety of literary forms (e.g., stories, poems, journals, plays, autobiographies, letters), and authentic self expression, with special attention paid to descriptions of character, setting, and action, and writing mechanics. Emerson: 7/18-7/22; Hacienda: 8/1-8/5 Presentation Techniques —develops students' persuasive and analytical skills for a variety of purposes with an emphasis on making assertions with factual and reasoned support and finding the pros and cons of an argument. Emerson: 7/25-7/29; Hacienda: 7/18-7/22 HOURS 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (care available 8:00 - 6:00) FEES 1 week: $500; 2 weeks: $950; add’l weeks @$400 All courses are directed by the distinguished faculty of Emerson School and Hacienda School. Breaks are taken for snacks, lunch, physical exercise, and social interaction. Parents are welcome at afternoon presentations.
Emerson School
Hacienda School
2800 W. Bayshore Rd. Palo Alto 650-263-4749
3800 Stoneridge Dr. Pleasanton 925-302-6587
writenow@headsup.org
www.headsup.org
dents of the two schools who are outstanding writers and competent to assist during the summer camp program. The average ratio of helpers to students is roughly 1:8. FREE EXTENDED CARE The actual camp program run s from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Extended care from 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM is available at no extra charge.
Now! format. In the formal evaluation that students turn in as their last writing assignment, almost all students say they would recommend the camps to a friend because they feel that their writing has improved significantly. Parents are also surprised by the high level of interest students express in very sophisticated ideas and concepts when given the chance to exercise their analytical skills fully. Rather than simply being a summer diversion for their stu- dents, enrollment in a Write Now! course is a gift that will last a lifetime and might even alter the course of a life. Students of the Expository Writing and Creative Writing camps produce a “Literary Review,” a compilation of the students’ favorite writings, that is published at the end of each week. Every student is given a copy of the review without charge. AGE GROUPINGS Students are separated into three groups: lower ele- mentary (grades 2-3), upper elementary (grades 4-5), and middle school (grades 6-8). Though there are whole-group presentations, as well as group instruction on techniques and rules, much of the work is done in smaller groups (e.g., five to eight students) that are conducted in the same way as graduate-level university writing workshops. PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS AND HELPERS Since the Write Now! program is part of the regular curriculum at the year-round Emerson School and Hacienda School, the regular teaching staff are available during the summer. They are supplemented by former stu-
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Summer Camp Special 2016
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