January Events and Deadlines

Upcoming Deadlines

Wednesday, January 13 — Proposals are due for the 2016 NCTEConvention in Atlanta.

Monday, January 18 — Applications are due for our RRVWP Winter Writing Retreat. If you would like to attend this year's Retreat, please send the following to Pam Fisher (pam[dot]fisher[at]gfschools[dot]org):

1 - Your name, job title, and school/district.

2 - A statement of your goals for participating in the Writing Retreat and how becoming better at writing dialog would help you meet those goals.

3 - If you would be interested in one credit of continuing education.

Those who apply and are accepted will be notified by Friday, January 22.

January Events

Saturday, January 16 — The Fargo-Moorhead Writing Group will meet from 9am – 10am at Dunn Brothers on the corner of 13th Ave S. and 25th St. S, Fargo.

Sunday, January 17 — The Grand Forks Book Club will meet at 5:00pm at the home of Pam Fisher to discuss Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

Friday, January 22 — The Fargo-Moorhead YAL Book Club will meet from 4:30pm - 6pm at Usher's House on 1st Ave. N. in Moorhead to discuss Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.

Contact Dan Dooher for more information: ddooher[at]moorheadschools[dot]org

Sunday, January 24 — The Grand Forks Professional Book Club will meet from 2:00pm - 3:30pm at the UND Bookstore to continue discussing Teaching Literacy for Love and Wisdom: Being the Book and Being the Change by Jeffrey Wilhelm and Bruce Novak.

2016 Summer Institute

The theme for the 2016 Summer Institute is “Writing in a Changing World.” The Summer Institute will take place July 6-22, 2016, in Fargo with the pre-institute Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7, 2016.

Call for applications--2016 Winter Writing Retreat at Maplelag Resort

The Red River Valley Writing Project is pleased to announce that we are sponsoring a Winter Writing Retreat February 26-28, 2016, at Maplelag Resort near Calloway, Minnesota (north of Detroit Lakes off Hwy. 59). Kelly was there on New Year's Day, and everything looked very good in the resort and out on the trails. 

Sara Miller ice skating at the 2013 Maplelag Winter Writing Retreat

The craft component that we will feature at this year's Winter Writing Retreat is dialog. Participants will have a chance to generate new writing as well as work on drafts of previously written pieces. Our writing time at Maplelag will feature writing to prompts, draft expansion activities, response from writing groups, revision time, whole-group sharing, and individual editing/coaching.  Angela Hase, Moorhead High School English teacher, will be our Writing Retreat leader, with support from previous leader Pam Fisher. We are also working to offer the Writing Retreat for one credit of continuing education credits.

Monday Announcements

Coming up this week:
Friday, December 18: The YAL Book Club will be discussing Boy 21 by Matthew Quick. Contact Dan Dooher for more information: ddooher@moorheadschools.org

Sunday, December 20: Grand Forks Book Club meets at 5pm. Contact Anderea Sherer for more information: andrealscherer[at]gmail[dot]com

Coming up later this month:
December 28th: Leadership Meeting. 10am-noon NDSU.

Coming up in January:
JANUARY 1ST: DEADLINE FOR SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS SUBMISSIONS. Please make sure your promising artists and writers have uploaded their work PRIOR to Winter Break! They will have to create an account here: http://www.artandwriting.org/
upload their documents or photos of their art, print a a registration form, and mail it with their $5 fee (or fee waiver form) to Olivia Edwardson Dept 2320, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.
 
The RRVWP Professional Book Club in Grand Forks is gearing up for a winter book study. The selection for this winter is Teaching Literacy for Love and Wisdom: Being the Book and Being the Change by Jeffrey Wilhelm and Bruce Novak. (See http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Literacy-Love-Wisdom-Language-ebook/dp/B00CDAY8TY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449675389&sr=8-1&keywords=Teaching+Literacy+for+Love+and+Wisdom%3A+Being+the+Book+and+Being+the+Change for more information about the book.) 

We will meet to discuss this book from 2:00-3:30 p.m. in Grand Forks, location TBD, on the following Sundays: Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 14, and March 6. 

If you are interested in participating in this book study, please contact Pam Fisher at <pam[dot]fisher[at]gfschools[dot]org> for a copy of the book. PRISM credit will be available, pending approval, for those on My Learning Plan.

The RRVWP co-sponsors 2015 Foreign Language Conference

For the first time ever, the Foreign Language Association of North Dakota is sponsoring a summer conference which will held on the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks August 11-13 with a pre-conference welcome reception the evening of August 10. 

Funded by a grant from UND and additionally sponsored by the Red River Valley Writing Project, the 2015 Summer Conference for Foreign Language Teachers is a conference for all current and retired foreign language teachers in North Dakota, as well as pre-service and regional foreign language teachers who choose to attend. This goal of this summer conference is to bring state and local foreign language teachers together on the UND campus to participate in professional development sessions on current best practices in foreign language education, to conduct whole-group and individual language breakout meetings, and to build a community of like-minded professionals. Teachers attending the conference will be able to earn one credit of continuing education through UND. Register at http://educators.und.edu/workshop/?id=TL.2015SC4FLT.CITC.

Participants coming from a distance who need to pay for lodging are eligible to receive a housing stipend. We have up to ten $50 stipends available. If interested, please contact Pam Fisher at <pam[dot]fisher[at]gfschools[dot]org>. Also, indicate if you would like to share a room (and therefore split expenses), and we can facilitate connections.

Register by August 1 to avoid a late fee.

Schedule of Events

August 10 - 13, 2015 

Education Building, UND campus

Eligible for one continuing education credit

Instructor:~Pamela E. Fisher, Spanish Instructor, Grand Forks Central High School, and Co-Director of the Red River Valley Writing Project, Various session presenters

Monday, August 10, 2015

6:30 pm-8:30 pm: Welcome Reception, location TBD

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

10:00 am-12:00 noon: Morning Class session*: Smarter Balanced-Style Activities to Interact with Culture-Based Texts

12:00 noon-12:50 pm: Lunch on campus

1:00 pm-4:30 pm: Afternoon Class session*: Close Reading to Engage with Authentic Cultural Texts

6:30 pm-9:00 pm: Foreign Language Teachers Social, El Roco Bar and Lounge

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

8:00 am-9:45 am: FLAND Business Meeting

10:00 am-12:00 noon: Morning Class session*: Heuristics and Strategies for Deep Viewing of Target-Culture Art

12:00 noon-12:50 pm: Lunch on campus

1:00 pm-4:30 pm: Afternoon Class session* : Literacy and Learning Stations

6:30 pm-9:00 pm: Dinner† and FLAND Awards Ceremony, Gorecki Alumni Center

Thursday, August 13, 2015

8:00 am-9:45 am: AAT (Individual language) meetings

10:00 am-12:00 noon: Morning Class session*: Interacting with Culture through Humor and Brain Twisters

12:00 noon-12:50 pm: Lunch on campus

1:00 pm-4:30 pm: Afternoon Class session*: Breakout sessions on various topics with guest speakers:                                                     

                                                1:00-2:00 Round One (2 options)

                                                2:10-3:10 Round Two (2 options)

                                                3:10-3:30 Break

                                                3:30-4:30 Round Three (2 options)

4:30-5:00 Plenary Session and Evaluations 

*Sessions that count towards the one credit of continuing education.    †Included with registration.

Assignments Matter 2.0 Task Jam Workshop

All Minnesota and North Dakota secondary teachers are invited to an Assignments Matter 2.0 Task Jam Workshop.

Workshop Details

Date: Thursday, July 16, 2015

Time: 9:00 a.m.--2:30 p.m.

Location: 310 Minard Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota

Facilitator: Karen Taylor, Red River Valley Writing Project/Horizon Middle School, Moorhead, MN

Description: Assignments Matter is a collaborative, knowledge-building and sharing experience that supports teachers in creating effective writing prompts for grades 6-12 across the curriculum based on the understanding that meaningful classroom tasks create powerful student results. Assignments Matter invites teachers to collaborate using tools from the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) as well as protocols and processes common in the National Writing Project teacher community to create writing assignments for use in their own classrooms and to share with one another and with teaching colleagues nationwide.

At the Assignments Matter 2.0 Task Jam Workshop, participants will be introduced to a framework for developing assignment prompts that are clear, concise, and connected with the Common Core State Standards.  Participants will generate and discuss classroom writing prompts paying particular attention to key concepts in the areas of reading, writing, synthesizing, and the application of content from all academic areas. Participants will also learn how developing effective prompts directly connected with the CCSS makes it easier to grade student work and how data from such assignments can help refine their teaching approaches. 

Who can Participate: The Assignments Matter Task Jam 2.0 Workshop is open to any middle or high school teacher in Minnesota and North Dakota.  You will be joining participants in RRVWP 2015 Summer Institute.

Registration, Parking, and Clock Hours: There is no charge for this workshop, but participation will be limited to the first 25 people who register.  Those who register before 3:00 Friday, July 10 will receive a pass for free parking. Registration will remain open until Tuesday, July 14, but later registrants will need to park on the street or pay for visitor parking on campus.  Those attending will receive a certificate of participation for 5.5 clock hours.

What to Bring: Those attending will need to bring a laptop/Chrome book/Google capable device and be registered for a Google account previous to July 16th.  In addition, participants should bring a printed copy or have electronic access to a writing assignment/prompt they have used with students in the past or hope to use during the upcoming school year.

Lunch:   Participants have lunch on their own from 11:45 – 12:45.  The student union on campus and businesses near campus are open for lunch.

Questions:   If you have any questions on the preceding material, please contact coordinator Karen Taylor at <ktaylor[at]moorheadschools[dot]org>.

July with the RRVWP

For those of you interested in continuing your learning with the RRVWP, we have the following opportunities available for you in July:

The Fargo Writing Group is meeting on Mondays in July from 7:00 pm-8:30 pm in Room 318 Minard Hall at NDSU. Contact Kim Rensch for more information or to RSVP: <renschk@fargo.k12.nd.us>.

In connection with the Summer Institute in Fargo, we have the following activities that are open to ALL RRVWP members. 

Write Around Fargo: Join the SI participants to write around Fargo the morning of Friday, July 10. We will meet at the Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave. N., at 8:15 am to be grouped and receive our writing prompts. Email Pam Fisher <pamefisher[at]gmail[dot]com> if you plan to attend (so we can make the appropriate number of copies) or if you have any questions.

The RRVWP is sponsoring an Assignments Matter Task Jam Workshop in conjunction with the Summer Institute. Assignments Matter is a collaborative, knowledge-building and sharing experience that supports teachers in creating effective writing prompts for grades 6-12 across the curriculum. At the Assignments Matter Task Jam Workshop, participants will be introduced to a framework for developing assignment prompts that are clear, concise, and connected with the Common Core State Standards.  Participants will generate and discuss classroom writing prompts paying particular attention to key concepts in the areas of reading, writing, synthesizing, and the application of content from all academic areas. Participants will also learn how developing effective prompts directly connected with the CCSS makes it easier to grade student work and how data from such assignments can help refine their teaching approaches. The Assignments Matter Task Jam Workshop will be held omn Thursday, July 16 from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm. Those attending will receive a certificate of participation. Contact Karen Taylor at <ktaylor[at]moorheadschools[dot]org> if you have any questions.

Visitors' Day at this year's Summer Institute will be Tuesday, July 21, from 8:30-11:45, followed by lunch. All RRVWP members are invited to attend to write with the current SI participants, hear about reading and research conducted during the SI, and take part in mini-demos. Please email Pam Fisher <pamefisher[at]gmail[dot]com> if you plan to attend and indicate if you plan to stay for lunch.

Grand Forks Book Club: For July, we are reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and meeting at Pam’s house on Tuesday, July 28th, at 5:30 pm.

Please join us for as many of these activities as you can!

June with the RRVWP

Below are the Red River Valley Writing Project's events for June. Please join us for as many as you can!

Sentence Sense class: June 16-17 in Fargo and June 23-24 in Grand Forks
Instructors: Nancy Devine and Pam Fisher

Learn how to write more effectively through generating quality sentences. In this class, participants will explore various sentence writing strategies, analyze models for sentence generation, examine sentence-level syntax, learn to manipulate syntax to create varying effects for readers, and explore how sentences relate to each other. Participants will generate their own sentences, analyze them, revise them, and discuss the strategies used. They will also consider how sentence strategies can be used to scaffold students K-12. 

Click here for the UND registration link. The NDSU registration link is here.

The Fargo Writing Group is meeting on Mondays, June 8, 15, 22, and 29, from 7:00 pm-8:30 pm in Room 318 Minard Hall at NDSU. Contact Kim Rensch for more information or to RSVP: <renschk[at]fargo[dot]k12[dot]nd[dot]us>.

On June 26-27th, there will be an Authentic Voices Writing Workshop for the community at Barry Hall located on NDSU's downtown Fargo campus. This is an opportunity for those who would like a safe space and some support in writing about their experiences as survivors. The book release and film screening will take place on Friday evening. There will be several RRVWP teachers leading small writing workshop groups on Saturday, the 27th. You are welcome to join us for the writing activities and/or share this information with your school and community.

Grand Forks Book Club: For June, we’ll be reading The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy and meeting at Andrea’s house on Saturday, June 27th, at 1:00 pm to partake in some red food. Other upcoming titles include: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and El Deafo by CeCe Bell.

April with the RRVWP

April is just around the corner, and here's what we have going on for RRVWP activities. Please mark your calendars and join us for as many of these as you can.

The Grand Forks Writing Group will meet on Friday, April 10, at 5:30 pm at the home of Nancy Devine to workshop pieces of any genre. All RRVWP members are welcome to attend. You need not have attended meetings in the past nor commit to attending all meetings to be a part of the GF Writing Group. If planning to attend, RSVP to Pam Fisher at pam[dot]fisher[at]gfschools[dot]org.

In our next Saturday Seminar, "A Syntactic Look at Sentences," participants will examine sentence-level syntax, learn to manipulate sentence syntax to create varying effects for readers, and discuss how syntax strategies can be used to scaffold students K-16.
We will meet from 1:00-4:00 pm in Room 167 at Central High School in Grand Forks on Saturday, April 18. Enter through Door #6 (new music/theater addition). Parking is available in the lot kitty corner from Central. This session is open now for registration on My Learning Plan for PRISM credit. If you plan to attend but not sign up on My Learning Plan, please contact Pam Fisher at the email below so we plan for the appropriate number of copies. The Saturday Seminars are open to other educators in addition to RRVWP TCs, so if you would like to attend and bring your teaching colleagues, they may attend as well and earn PRISM credit or clock-hour certificates. And, even if YOU cannot attend, please pass the word on to any interested colleagues.

The Fargo Writing Group is meeting on Tuesday, April 21, from 7:00-8:30. Please RSVP to Kim Rensch at renschk[at]fargo[dot]k12[dot]nd[dot]us if planning to attend.

The Fargo-Moorhead Book Club plans to meet on Monday, April 27, at Usher's House in Moorhead from 4:30-6:00 pm to discuss Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. RSVP to Dan Dooher at DTDOOHER2006[at]alum[dot]csbsju[dot]edu if planning to attend. You need not have read the book to join the discussion and learn more about the book.

Grand Forks Book Club: Our next book is Brown Girl Dreaming, the Youth National Book Award Winner and a Newbery Honor book by Jacqueline Woodson. We'll be meeting on Tuesday, April 28th, at 5:30 on the Rhombus rooftop. Email Andrea Scherer <andrealscherer[at]gmail[dot]com> if planning to attend.

Annual Reunion: 2015 Program

Red River Valley Writing Project Annual Reunion

2015 Program

Sunday, March 29, 2015

2:00-4:00 pm

NDSU Memorial Union, Hidatsa Room

2:00-2:10            Opening Remarks: Kelly Sassi, Director

2:10-2:30            Writing Prompt: Kim Rensch, Facilitator of the Fargo Writing Group

2:30-2:40            Assignments Matter Task Jam Workshop: Karen Tayor

                           Circle of Nations Academic Year Institute: TBD

2:40-3:00            Coffee and Pastries, Socializing

3:00-3:10            Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: TBD

                            North Dakota Council of Teachers of English: Kaylie Young

3:10-3:50            Poetry Mini-demo: 

                           Nancy Devine, Writer in Residence, and Pam Fisher, Co-Director

3:50-4:00            Summer Programming: Pam Fisher

                            Closing Remarks: Kelly Sassi

2015 Summer Institute Application Deadline Fast Approaching

2015 Summer Institute: Writing to Learn

for K-16 Teachers

NDSU Campus, Fargo, ND

Send applications and questions to

Kelly Sassi, Director

Red River Valley Writing Project

Dept. 2320, PO Box 6050

Fargo, ND 58108

701-231-7156; kelly[dot]sassi[at]ndsu[dot]edu

What does the Summer Institute offer?

As a site of the National Writing Project, the RRVWP Summer Institute offers participants a place to read and discuss ideas about teaching writing and using writing to teach—plus time to write. Readings include common and individual selections to meet the needs and interests of all participants in the institute. Teachers also share best teaching practices through hands-on teaching demonstrations and explore the teaching of writing by writing. Participants are eligible to receive up to a $750 stipend to reimburse the cost of tuition for the institute. Institute fellows are eligible for up to three graduate credits through NDSU. Requirements for credit: participation, teaching demonstration, and portfolio due July 31.

When is the institute?

Pre-institute orientation:

Friday, May 15^th  from 5:15-8:15 pm and Saturday, May 16^th 9:00 am-noon

Summer institute:

Tuesday-Friday, July 7-10, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Monday-Thursday, July 13-16, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Monday-Thursday, July 20-23, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Who can participate?

The RRVWP invites teachers of any subject, at any grade level, to apply. Since National Writing Project summer institutes are selective, all participants must apply directly to the RRVWP.

How can I apply?

By April 1, please send the following materials via

snail mail or e-mail to Kelly Sassi at the address above:

   •a brief resume with current contact information;

   •one supporting letter from a teacher colleague;

   •one supporting letter from a principal or

     supervisor; 

   •a letter of application in which you share your beliefs about writing in the classroom, the ways you use writing in your classroom, your special interests in writing and the teaching of writing, and what you hope to gain from the Summer Institute.

March with the RRVWP

March has arrived! Will spring be far behind?

Here's what's going on with the RRVWP this month. Please mark your calendars and join us for as many of these activities as you can.

The RRVWP Annual Reunion for all members will be held in the afternoon on Sunday, March 29, at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo. More information about this event will be sent out soon.

The RRVWP Professional Book Club is meeting at the UND Bookstore from 2:00-3:30 pm on Sunday, March 8, to finish our discussion of the The Discovery of Poetry: A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems by Frances Mayes.

The Grand Forks Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, March 18, at 6:00 pm at Andrea Scherer's to discuss Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, one of the writers appearing at the UND Writers Conference, March 25-27. Email Andrea Scherer <andrealscherer[at]gmail[dot]com> if planning to attend.

At our next Saturday Seminar, "A Syntactic Look at Sentences, " participants will examine sentence-level syntax, learn to manipulate sentence syntax to create varying effects for readers, and discuss how syntax strategies can be used to scaffold students K-16.

We will meet from 1:00-4:00 pm in Room 167 at Central High School in Grand Forks on Saturday, March 21. Enter through Door #6 (new music/theater addition). Parking is available in the lot kitty corner from Central. This session is open now for registration on My Learning Plan for PRISM credit. If you plan to attend but not sign up on My Learning Plan, please contact Pam Fisher at the email below so we plan for the appropriate number of copies. 

The Saturday Seminars are open to other educators in addition to RRVWP TCs, so if you would like to attend and bring your teaching colleagues, they may attend as well and earn PRISM credit or clock-hour certificates. And, even if YOU cannot attend, please pass the word on to any interested colleagues.

The Fargo-Moorhead Book Club has plans to meet on Friday, March 27, at Usher's House in Moorhead from 4:30-6:00 pm to discuss The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson. RSVP to Dan Dooher at <DTDOOHER2006[at]alum[dot]csbsju[dot]edu> if planning to attend. You need not have read the book to join the discussion and learn more about the book.

The Grand Forks Writing Group will meet on Saturday, March 28, at 1:00 pm at the home of Nancy Devine to workshop pieces of any genre. All RRVWP members are welcome to attend. You need not have attended meetings in the past nor commit to attending all meetings to be a part of the GF Writing Group. If planning to attend, RSVP to Pam Fisher at <pam[dot]fisher[at]gfschools[dot]org>.

The Fargo Writing Group is meeting on Monday, March 30, from 7:00-8:30. Please RSVP to Kim Rensch at <renschk[at]fargo[dot]k12[dot]nd[dot]us> if planning to attend.

As always, you can keep up with RRVWP events by liking us on Facebook, joining the listserv, and following this blog.

Summer Open Institute in August

Build Your Argument Toolkit: Rhetoric in the K12 Classroom

August 4 and 5, 2015, 8:30 – 4:30, Merrifield Hall 312, UND campus

Eligible for one continuing education credit*

Instructor: Kim Donehower, PhD, Associate Professor of English, UND, former RRVWP Director

Description

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts place tremendous emphasis on the “evidence-based argument,” but there’s a more important word buried (and sometimes misdefined) in the standards: “rhetoric.” “Rhetoric,” in the classic sense, is the study of persuasion, and it’s difficult to teach students to read or write arguments without it. It encompasses everything from coming up with sound claims to the selection of evidence to audience analysis to persuasive techniques to word choice. This mini-institute is designed to give K12 teachers an introductory course in classical to contemporary rhetoric, so that we might select useful ideas, terms, and techniques for our students and our teaching.

NBPTS Standards

This mini-institute addresses NBPTS standard two: “Accomplished teachers have a rich understanding of the subject(s) they teach […and] develop the critical and analytical capacities of their students. Accomplished teachers command specialized knowledge of how to convey and reveal subject matter to students. They are aware of the preconceptions and background knowledge that students typically bring to each subject and of strategies and instructional materials that can be of assistance…” 

Objectives

Participants in this mini-institute will…

·       understand and apply the concepts of rhetorical situation, Aristotelian appeals, and Toulmin terminology for analyzing arguments;

·       identify current beliefs and practices which may be limiting students’ learning of argumentation;

·       transform some current classroom practices into ones which provide richer, more informed learning situations for students. 

Course Requirements

Participants must attend all parts of the mini-institute, read and participate in discussions about the readings, and perform as active writers and thinkers during demonstrations and other activities. All participants will produce revised lesson plans and unit ideas incorporating some of the concepts shared in the mini-institute, and will share those products with other participants for feedback.

*Pending university approval

Summer Open Institutes in June

Sentence Sense

June 16-17, 2015, Fargo, ND, 8:00-4:30 pm, Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

June 23-24, Grand Forks, ND, 8:00-4:30 pm, Merrifield Hall 312, UND campus

Eligible for one continuing education credit*

Instructors: Nancy Devine, RRVWP Writer in Residence, and Pam Fisher, RRVWP Co-Director

Description
Learn how to write more effectively through generating quality sentences. In this class, participants will explore various sentence writing strategies, analyze models for sentence generation, examine sentence-level syntax, learn to manipulate syntax to create varying effects for readers, and explore how sentences relate to each other. Participants will generate their own sentences, analyze them, revise them, and discuss the strategies used. They will also consider how sentence strategies can be used to scaffold students K-16.

Objectives

Participants in this mini-institute will…

•explore various sentence-generating strategies

•learn how to manipulate syntax to effect different reader responses

•carry into classrooms the strategies learned in order to scaffold student learning.

Course Requirements

Participants will be expected to attend all 15 hours of class, actively participate through writing, reading, and discussion during class, complete assigned homework, and complete all necessary paperwork and evaluations.

*Pending university approval

North Dakota Scholastic Art & Writing Award Winners Announced

The Plains Art Museum and the Red River Valley Writing Project have selected 47 North Dakota winners of the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s foremost recognition program for creative students in grades 7–12.  

Student award winners will be recognized at a ceremony on Feb. 17, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Plains Art Museum. Teachers of these award-winning students will also be recognized at the ceremony and receive Scholastic Art & Writing educator pins.

The event is free and open to the public. Gold Key winners in writing will read from their works, and all of the award-winning art is on display in the Museum’s Center for Creativity gallery through Feb. 21. 

Art gold key winners are Lily Ferguson, Grand Forks; Alexa Gathman, Devils Lake; Zach Howatt, Hunter; Ashleigh Jerde, Bottineau; Zachary Lonefight, Wahpeton; Megan Tichy, Tower City; and Megan Vetter, West Fargo.

Art silver key winners are Ashley Fagerland, Williston; Shelby Foreman, Watford City; Ashleigh Jerde, Bottineau; Nathan Maliscke, Fargo; Megan Tichy, Tower City; and Jonah Zimmerman, Hazen.

Art honorable mentions include Jwan Al Selim, West Fargo; Jessica Azure, Wahpeton; Clare Bath, Fargo; Tierney Branson, West Fargo; Irene Buhendwa, Fargo; Gavin Dorsey,Grand Forks; Kayla Eagle Bull, Wahpeton; Amanda Fasthorse-Geshick, Wahpeton; Darnelle Fourstar, Wahpeton; De Mario Go Clanney, Wahpeton; Olivia Van Renterghem, Fargo; Sydney Werner, Elgin; and Phillip Wyganowski, West Fargo.

Writing gold key winners are Molly Feland, Grand Forks; Sophie Glessner, Fargo; Jack Hastings, Hillsboro; Brooke Schaefer, Horace; and Amanda Wagar, Casselton.

Writing silver key winners are Alex Avila, Mandaree; Shyanne Belzer, Minot; Ashley Fagerland, Williston; Lily Ferguson, Grand Forks; Jack Hastings, Hillsboro; Kayla Redfoot, Wahpeton; Nicole Rothenberger, Grand Forks; Brooke Schaefer, Minot; Kooper Shagena, Horace; Hannah Shawstad, Grand Forks; and Virginia Brower, Emerado.

Writing honorable mentions include Irene Buhendwa, Fargo; Dylan Foley, Grand Forks; Caitlin Hurst,  Fessenden; Wyatt Koppang, Grand Forks; Jadyn Leiseth, West Fargo; Vaughn Morrison, Wahpeton; Michelle Narcia, Wahpeton; and Amanda Wagar, Casselton.

Works by all gold key recipients from more than 100 regional programs across the U.S. are entered into the national competition, and those winners will be announced on March. 15.

Judging was performed by the North Dakota affiliate of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a partnership between the Red River Valley Writing Project at North Dakota State University and Plains Art Museum, both based in Fargo.

About the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Started in 1923 by Scholastic founder Maurice Robinson, the awards are the nation’s highest honor and largest source of scholarships for creative teenagers. Notable Scholastic Awards alumni include Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Joyce Carol Oates, Ken Burns, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Stephen King, Lena Dunham, and many more.

A complete list of 2015 regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awardwinners is available online. To learn more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit the Scholastic Media Room.

--Olivia Edwardson, North Dakota Statewide Coordinator

Summer Institute 2015

2015 Summer Institute: Writing to Learn
for K-16 Teachers

NDSU Campus, Fargo, ND

Send applications and questions to

Kelly Sassi, Director

Red River Valley Writing Project

Dept. 2320, PO Box 6050

Fargo, ND 58108

701-231-7156; kelly[dot]sassi[at]ndsu[dot]edu

What does the Summer Institute offer?

As a site of the National Writing Project, the RRVWP Summer Institute offers participants a place to read and discuss ideas about teaching writing and using writing to teach—plus time to write. Readings include common and individual selections to meet the needs and interests of all participants in the institute. Teachers also share best teaching practices through hands-on teaching demonstrations and explore the teaching of writing by writing. Participants are eligible to receive up to a $750 stipend to reimburse the cost of tuition for the institute. Institute fellows are eligible for up to three graduate credits through NDSU. Requirements for credit: participation, teaching demonstration, and portfolio due July 31.

When is the institute?

Pre-institute orientation:

Friday, May 15^th  from 5:15-8:15 pm and Saturday, May 16^th 9:00 am-noon

Summer institute:

Tuesday-Friday, July 7-10, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Monday-Thursday, July 13-16, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Monday-Thursday, July 20-23, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Who can participate?

The RRVWP invites teachers of any subject, at any grade level, to apply. Since National Writing Project summer institutes are selective, all participants must apply directly to the RRVWP.

How can I apply?

By April 1, please send the following materials via

snail mail or e-mail to Kelly Sassi at the address above:

   •a brief resume with current contact information;

   •one supporting letter from a teacher colleague;

   •one supporting letter from a principal or

     supervisor; 

   •a letter of application in which you share your beliefs about writing in the classroom, the ways you use writing in your classroom, your special interests in writing and the teaching of writing, and what you hope to gain from the Summer Institute.

February with the RRVWP

It's February! Here's what's going on with the Red River Valley Writing Project this month. Please join us for as many of these activities as you can.

The Grand Forks Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 6:00 pm at Katie Bolstad's to discuss Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) by Laura Esquivel. Email Andrea Scherer <andrealscherer[at]gmail[dot]com> if planning to attend.

The Grand Forks Writing Group will meet on Friday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 at the home of Nancy Devine to workshop pieces of any genre. All RRVWP members are welcome to attend. You need not have attended meetings in the past nor commit to attending all meetings to be a part of the GF Writing Group. If planning to attend, RSVP to Pam Fisher at <pam[dot]fisher[at]gfschools[dot]org>.

The RRVWP Professional Book Club is meeting at the UND Bookstore from 2:00-3:30 on Sunday, Feb.1, and Sunday, Feb. 15, to continue discussing the The Discovery of Poetry: A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems by Frances Mayes.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Ceremony for North Dakota winners will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo.

The Fargo Writing Group is meeting on Friday, Feb. 20, from 7:00-8:30. Please RSVP to Kim Rensch at <renschk[at]fargo[dot]k12[dot]nd[dot]us> if planning to attend.

The Fargo-Moorhead Book Club has plans to meet on Monday, Feb. 23, at Usher's House in Moorhead from 4:30-6:00 pm to discuss Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo. RSVP to Dan Dooher at <DTDOOHER2006[at]alum[dot]csbsju[dot]edu> if planning to attend. You need not have read the book to join the discussion and learn more about the book.

Our third annual Winter Writing Retreat will take place February 27-March 1, 2015, at Maplelag Resort near Calloway, Minnesota (north of Detroit Lakes off Hwy. 59). We still have some slots available. If you would like to partake of this wonderful opportunity to write, please send the following by Wednesday, Feb. 4, to Pam Fisher at Central High School, 115 N 4th St., Grand Forks, ND 58203.
-a non-refundable deposit of $75.00. Please make your deposit check payable to Maplelag (memo line: RRVWP writing retreat).
-an email to Pam to indicate that a deposit check is on the way and
-include a brief explanation of why you would like to attend this writing retreat and what you would like to accomplish there.