Day 10: Final day of Write Alaska 2010!

Today's class was kind of like a baseball game, which somehow seems appropriate since we played a lot of baseball and softball over the past two weeks.

The pre-game event:

The day started off with some reflective writing time about all of the accomplishments we have made, both in the classroom and out on adventures.  We shared some of our favorite lines from the journal write (with gusto of course).  Each writer in the class had the chance to write and write and then to write some more over the past two weeks.  We have also had the opportunity to play around with some new technology.  The results of all that hard work are here for us to share on this blog.

After quite a bit of time working in class and preparing for the afternoon's performance, the class members chowed down on another awesome lunch that Callie, Jamie, Meghan, and Mia prepared; then almost all the class headed out to play ball for one last time.  Ben tells me that there were lots of good times at the park.



A few of us stayed behind to get things ready for the closing ceremony.  With some help from Ms. Candy at the Ed Center, the atrium area was transformed into the perfect location for our poetry reading and awards ceremony.  When all of the students returned from the park after burning off a little energy, it was time for the big show. 

The big event:
 
Confidence.   Confidence is the word I think best describes this year's Write Alaska 2010 members.  The team walked out onto the field, or in the case, into the ASD Ed Center with confidence.  They had done their work, they had practiced their poems, and they were ready to read their pieces to the crowd that had assembled for the ceremony.

Each Write Alaska class member stepped up to the mic and knocked it out of the park.  The class members cheered each other on, just as they had done on the trails for the past two weeks.  The staff members sat amongst the group and just beamed, so proud of the hard work and bravery shown by each person who got up to read his or her original poetry.  Even when it got hard for some people to continue reading pieces that were intensely personal and real, the audience members encouraged them with quiet smiles and a few, "come on, you can do it" comments.


We rounded out the event with an awards ceremony in which one of the positive accomplishments for each student was highlighted by an award and some words from the staff members.  We also had some tasty cake and watched two videos.  Both the Animoto short movie and the Channel 2 news report that featured our group fishing are linked on the blog too.
  

The post-game message, brought to the students by all the Write Alaska 2010! staff members:

We are so proud of the hard work that each and every student put into these past two weeks.  You all, every single one of you, stood at the podium in the Anchorage School District Education Center and read your original poetry into the mic.  Your pieces were creative, they were sincere, and they were amazing.  Your poems had "ear sense, eye sense, and brain sense."  Your words moved us, and some lines made us laugh.  Most of all you believed in yourselves enough to get up in front of a large audience and take the risk to read original poetry. I believe there may have even been a tear or two from the staff members.

In the classroom, you pushed yourselves to become better writers and digital learners; out in the field, each one of you tested your own limits to learn new skills and pushed yourselves physically and mentally. 

This has been another amazing year of Write Alaska.  We all look forward to seeing you all throughout the upcoming school year.  We want to be there to celebrate your successes (oh yes, we will be among those cheering the loudest for you at your graduations).  We will also be there to remind you of your pure potential and your talents throughout the year.

This is an incredible opportunity, for both students and staff, to get to spend this much intensive, academic time together in the summer.   Every second, and I mean every second, is worth it to get to be a part in seeing what fine young men and women you grow up to be.

Thanks for another great year! :)