Local Writers Inspire With Workshops For Katonah 4th & 5th Graders

CROSS RIVER, NY — Katonah Elementary fifth and sixth graders learned some tricks of the trade from masters of their craft and, perhaps more importantly, shared a contagious passion for the written word.

From the Katonah-Lewisboro School District.

The students gathered around David Pogue — tech columnist, bestselling author, five-time TED speaker, host of 20 NOVA science specials, creator/host of a CBS News/Simon & Schuster podcast, and a very funny man—eager to see what was in his suitcase. He told them it was full of products he’d been sent to review over the years. The first thing he pulled out looked like a model of the Guggenheim; it was a collapsable bike helmet. "That doesn’t seem very useful," said one of the students. "Ah-ha!" said Pogue. "Put that in your review!"

This was the type of engaging writers’ workshop that Katonah Elementary School’s fourth and fifth graders enjoyed on June 11. The writing enrichment, called Do the Write Thing, has been hosted every other year by the school’s PTO for more than 20 years. This year, it included 11 workshops—on topics ranging from writing product reviews, song lyrics and TV news to sports stories and more, all taught by professional writers from the community.

As parent Louise Alverson introduced the workshop teachers, the local aspect of the event became apparent. Several of the experts were KES parents; most lived in the community.

Students cheered when Maria Colaco was introduced.

"Ms. Colaco is a digital marketing specialist, not just your Lion King choreographer!" said Alverson.

A dozen sports-loving students learned from sports journalist Richard Finn, who’s written for the New York Times among other newspapers. The room was silent as students filled their notebooks with vivid descriptions. Finn passed a microphone from one student to the next. They weren’t sitting in a classroom; they were broadcasting from the press box.

"Write to the picture," TV journalist Pauline Chiou said to her students. She was speaking from experience; the former correspondent/anchor for CNN International and CNBC Asia was now News Director at News 12 Westchester/ Hudson Valley. Chiou had shown them several videos—shot from the inside of a home—of a black bear and her cubs enjoying a backyard pool. "Tell us what’s happening," she said to the students. “What do you see?"

"How many brothers or sisters do you have," singer/songwriter Christine Chanel asked one of the students, coaxing out feelings of fun and adventure. "I have a few siblings; I always have something to write about," she said. By noon, the class was singing a hip-hop song about togetherness; Chanel brought it together with a catchy melody on her guitar.

A university student was the mystery guest for a workshop on feature writing led by Gia Miller and Justin Negard, publishers of Connect to Northern Westchester magazine. The young woman told students a story from her first days at college; their challenge was to determine where her story should start. "You captivate a reader by starting a story somewhere other than the beginning," said Miller.

By noon, the young writers had drafts to share. The fourth and fifth graders and the guest teachers gathered back in the gym, where several students from each workshop shared their work.

"The shared readings were fabulous," said Alverson. "The laughter, positive applause and the energy across the gym was contagious. The kids had a great time!"

WORKSHOPS

• Capturing Our own Stories: The Power of Memoir, with Alan Bergman
• Song Writing with Intention, with Christine Chanel
• Breaking News: The Secret to Great TV News Writing, with Pauline Chiou
• How to Write a Killer Review, with David Pogue
• You Are a Citizen Journalist, with Maria Colaco
• More Than Just the Score, with Richard Finn
• Poetry Playhouse: Crafting and Recrafting Words, with Anastasia Guadron
• Pet Prose, with Molly Horan
• Behind the Picture: Using Photos and Art Work to Tell Stories, with Daniel Isenberg
• Write Your Business Plan to Life, with Liz Frazier Peck
• Trust Me, Dog Food is Delicious, with Gia Miller and Justin Negard