MEMBERS PRESENT:  Karen Alford, Stacy Arndell, Rogerlynne Briddon, Regina Brooks,  Joy Buckingham, Chris Carter, Michelle East, Cheryl Gilstrap, Beverly Heady, Jim Lillie, Stephanie Martin, Ann Pollard, Karen Scott, Belinda Stark, Heather Thomsen,  John Hagaman.

Not present: Kim James, Deidre Day, Lynn Claycomb, Alice Cantrell

Meeting was convened with introductions and revisions of address directory information made.

Chris Carter was elected as chair and Joy Buckingham as recorder.

John presented the “Louisville Writing Project Network” Newsletter and information about the Writing Mini-Conference on September 15, 2001 sponsored by the Louisville Writing Project.

There is $5500 in mini grants.  To date, three book group applications have been submitted with the deadline date being October 1, 2001.  One letter asked if principals could apply for mini grants.  The board discussed whether to allow the mini grant money to be spent by non-writing project members.  It was decided that members would be granted the money first and then, if money remained, the Project would support one principal group for $300.  The principals would be asked to share their reading with their faculty and/or to participate in a workshop the Project might sponsor for principals.
 

Misti Logsdon and Jan Swisher have submitted “Research Action Group Proposals”. TJ Maynard and Ann Angstrom and Karen Marcum are resource people for these groups.   Jan’s proposal was accepted.  It was agreed that Misti’s would be returned with a suggestion to submit as a book group proposal or rewrite with a classroom research question specified.

“NCTE First Time Scholarship Request” by Ann H. Nance was discussed.  A motion was moved to accept the proposal as is and it was accepted.

Standing committee reports.

Young Writer’s Camp:  Two weeks in June, 8:00-12:00, co-sponsored with the Center for Gifted Studies.  The camp involved 26 sixth through eighth grade students.  The students were very involved.  Barry Lane’s Forty Ways to Better Writing  and reflection journals were provided.  A survey of needs by students began the week.  It was decided that a poetry unit would be done and students contracted for two pieces of writing by the end of the two weeks.

There was discussion on providing two classes next summer.  Also, it was suggested that a permission form for publishing pieces on the web, etc. would be added to the application.

From the past summer’s project XVI, Stephanie Martin discussed some of the things that were done during that project: visits by Dr. Charles Whitaker and Henry Noden (Image Grammar) were highlights.

From the Advanced Writing Institute 2001 Rogerlynne Briddon talked about the format of the Institute allowing participants to study, research or create what they needed.

The board agreed to support the Advanced Writing Institute for next summer.

KCTE/LA and  Western’s English Department, in conjunction with the Writing Project, are exploring having regional meetings to honor students and their teachers.  At these meetings, students would read their pieces.  Students will be presented a book and certificate for their participation.

Also proposed in conjunction with Western’s English Department and Writing Project is a seventh through twelfth grade content area teacher workshop for a week long literature project.  Possible stipend: $500.  The idea would be to create hypertext versions of literature with links that invite ample student writing.  Teachers, upon their return to school, would help students create hypertexts of their own.

There was discussion on the suggestion of a week long workshop of writing teachers and content teachers working together, similar to the one that Ann Pollard and Kim Janes taught during June of 2000.

Jim Lillie talked about recruitment and agreed that mini-workshops were one of the best influences for recruitment.    Then the group discussed that  having someone not from your school to come in and give a short “sale” to invited teachers to participate in the Writing Project would be a possibility for recruitment.

Types of publications and revisions of present pieces to advertise our  project were discussed.  Some ideas were:
- to have two pamphlets, one would include Outreach activities and one for the Institute
- names on the Institute  pamphlet need to be updated.
- internet site needs to be more efficient for telephone modems to download.
- the newsletter needs to be created in more efficient format to email and download.
 

Karen Alford provided a handout showing the past year’s activities done in the Outreach program.  Future activities of Outreach include:

- September 19, 2001-at Warren County Extension Service
       Kelly Long and her “Do-What” method for answering open response questions.
       Janet Hurt – Standards Based Units How to take the Curriculum mapping that has been done and                     create
       Standards based unit.

- September 29, 2001 – at Natcher Elementary on Cave Mill Road.  Ann Nance will present “Celebrating the Arts” for K-8.   A presentation of visual arts, drama, dance and music incorporating picture books and writing.

- October 20, 2001 at Natcher Elementary, Donna Vincent and Tara Whitmer, “Something to Talk About”  Organization, implementation and much more.  This session is for upper primary, elementary, and middle school teachers, Curriculum coordinators, administrators, GT/Special Needs Teachers.

John Hagaman asked what we could do for high school teachers and non-project members.  Possibly conversation times.  Other ideas included
- idea exchange
- bring Outreach programs to the high schools
- create consortiums within areas

Evaluation:  The Board considered again the model that the Southern Arizona Writing Project had created.  Student writing and the prompt that created it were assembled in a booklet along with student reflection about what was learned and a teacher reflection on how she/he taught writing.  To make the task manageable, Michelle East suggested to divide the fellows geographically so that all documentation would not go to one person.  She will check on Project teachers in her area, explore possibilities, and based on her findings, get back to the Board with advice on how each Board member could collect information in her/his area of our region.

The next board meeting was scheduled for January 12, 2001 at 9:30 a.m in Room 105 at Cherry Hall.  Snow date would be the 26th.

Respectfully Submitted
Joy Lynn Cox Buckingham, Recorder