Love Creek Elementary holds Publishing Party

By Gracie M Elder

Third-grade students shared stories about natural disasters with friends and guardians at Love Creek Elementary School’s Publishing Party on Feb. 7. 

Mabel Norwood, third-grade English language arts teacher at Love Creek Elementary School, said student topics could include: hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, or blizzards. 

All stories included information about the formation, climate, occurrence, and effects of the natural disaster. 

Norwood said, “Writing and listening skills are a third-grade standard, which this Publishing Party helps meet.” 

The Publishing Party was celebrated at the end of the students’ school day. Students’ invited guests came to the cafeteria and sat beside their students. Students then read their natural disaster story aloud. 

Video by Gracie Elder

Third-grade student, Cassidy Smith,  9, wrote her story on tornadoes. Smith said when writing her story on tornadoes, she learned “tornadoes are really bad, and can destroy homes.”

Smith said her aunt and mother came to hear her story at the Publishing Party.

Third-grade student, Leanna Couch, 8, wrote her story on hurricanes. Couch said when writing her story on hurricanes, she learned that hurricanes have an eye, “which is the center most of the hurricane.”

Couch said the hardest part of writing her story on hurricanes was gathering the information for her topic. Couch said her mother and father were coming to hear her story, and was excited to read it.  

Norwood said students’ natural disaster stories involved a three-week research process. The first week, “students researched the characteristics that defined their phenomenon”, the second week, “students researched where and when their phenomena occurred”, and the third week, “students researched what tools meteorologists used to study their weather phenomenon.”

Norwood said she supported her students in writing their stories by giving them graphic organizers and modeling proper word choice. Norwood said she taught her students how to use transitional words and begin and end paragraphs. 

When the doors opened to the publishing party, students began to read their informative stories to beaming guardians. Norwood said she was glad the school had “implemented a way for students to exercise their writing and communication skills.” 

Third-grade teacher Mabel Norwood welcomes guardians to the publishing party.

Photo by Gracie M Elder

Third-grade student Cassidy Smith prepares to read her story.

Photo by Gracie M Elder