coordinated by the ARMS PGO
WRITING TO RAISE TM
Writing
Retreat
We
all have stories to tell and the ARMS PGO invites you to join
us at this on-going mini writing retreat to share yours.
Thursday
Evenings from 6:30 to 8:00
(Come to one, a few or all)
Dates:
March 5 and 19
April 2, 16 and 30
May 14 and 28
Amherst
Regional Middle School Library
170 Chestnut Street, Amherst – 2nd Floor
Theme: Raising Our Children and Growing
Ourselves
Goals:
- Connect
parents and create a supportive, compassionate community in
which to share stories
- Provide
time for writing and light instruction to sharpen writing
skills, hopefully inspiring participants to reflect and
write more
- Promote
intercultural understanding and exchanges by telling
authentic, diverse stories
- Share
contemporary American culture, values and day-to-day life
with our counter-parts in China (and elsewhere) by
publishing an anthology available on-line.
- Generate
funds to support ARMS teacher and student initiatives from
publication sales
Description
Open
to anyone who has stories about family, children, parenthood
and growth, this series of 90-minute Parent/Guardian writing
sessions (held in the ARMS library) is designed to provide a
space and time for parents who want to write and share their
family stories.
Invited
to kick-off the series is Corinne Demas, Mount Holyoke
Professor and published author of her memoir Eleven
Stories High: Growing up in Stuyvesant Town, 1948 – 1968.
Professor Demas will talk about the writing process, share
tips on how to make stories engaging and how to speak in our
own authentic voice.
The
final product will be an anthology of participant submissions.
Space permitting, contributing to the anthology is open to
anyone who is interested in submitting an article about family
life, parenthood, home literacy practices, community culture,
raising children, etc. The hope is to as inclusive as possible
however neither participation nor submission guarantees
inclusion in the anthology publication. Workshop organizers
will make the determination as to compilation selection with
professional guidance.
An
English version of the anthology will be sold to
English-speaking community. The English-Chinese version of the
book will be sold to Chinese readers in the forms of ibook,
ebook and print texts. The money gained from sales will be
used to benefit the middle school community.
Structure
of a Writing Group Meeting
6:30
- 6:40 pm Humanize the space via social time
6:40
- 7:00 pm Pre-writing talk
7:00
- 7:45 pm Intensive writing
7:45
- 8:00 pm Wrap-up discussion
- The first
ten minutes is for parents to connect and update one another
on progress.
- The next
20 minutes consists of a pre-write activity: a brief talk
given by invited speaker, group members sharing about
writing, parenting, cultural awareness, adolescence
development, or a collaborative talk about some selected
books, articles and videos. It may also include
brainstorming activities, writing exercises, sharing pieces,
discussing writing prompts or images, etc.
- Writing
is the main task. It will last 45 to 50 minutes.
- Wrap up
activity may be a go-around touch base, group member(s)
sharing writing, or a discussion about some issues,
concerns, difficulties.
Please Come!!! We'd love it if you let us know if you are
interested in participating or have any questions by contacting
Ying Zhang or Victoria Cliche at
ArmsPgo@gmail.com
but if you decide to just show up - that's GREAT too!!!
