Creative Writing (G.2&up)

In this class, students will invent stories of all kinds. They will learn how to bring characters to life and turn everyday events into unforgettable stories. A diverse range of exercises will help students explore their imaginations: creating comics, playing with poetry, and even rewriting episodes in time. In this encouraging & supportive class, students will read a diverse range of texts and learn to think in new ways.
Writing Projects
June 9 Letter Writing Adventures
June 16 Writing with Your Five Senses
June 23 Create Amazing Characters
June 30 Unlikely Duos: Create Unexpected Pairs
July 7 Create Your Own Comics
July 14 Storytelling Through Journalling
July 21 Imaginative Interviews
July 28 Play with Poetry: Simile, Acrostic, Haiku
August 4 Creative Story Starters
August 11 Final Projects

Narrative Essay (G3&4)

Young writers discover how to craft engaging personal narratives from the first spark to polished publication. We will unpack the building blocks of story (character, setting, plot, conflict, voice), practice each skill in mini-lessons, and grow drafts through a workshop routine of modeling, independent writing, peer editing, revision, and celebration. Students finish with a portfolio containing one fully revised narrative essay plus shorter skill‑based pieces.

Persuasive Writing (G.4&5)

In this interactive class, 5-6th graders will learn how to express their opinions convincingly through persuasive writing. Students will explore how to craft strong arguments as well as address counterarguments using emotional and logical appeals. Students will also learn how to identify and critically analyze persuasive writing and visuals in the world around them.

By the end of the class, students will be able to:
✅ Write to a specific audience and for a specific purpose
✅ Write compelling persuasive essays, letters, emails, speeches, and presentations
✅ Use persuasive writing tools to support their arguments
✅ Identify and counter opposing viewpoints
✅ Use pathos, ethos, and logos to elicit the intended reader responses of emotion and intent
✅ Cite sources
This class is perfect for students who want to improve their writing skills, communicate more effectively, and be successful in high school, college, and the working world.

Argument Writing (G6&7)

In this interactive class, 6-7th grade students will apply critical thinking skills to argument writing using reasoning and solid evidence. Students will explore how to develop a position and address counterarguments using logic and persuasion. Writing assignments will include structured writing exercises, analytic reading, group discussions/debates, and fun exercises.

By the end of the class, students will be able to:
✅ Write to a specific audience and for a specific purpose
✅ Write compelling argument essays, letters, emails, speeches, and visuals
✅ Use logical and persuasive evidence to support their position and counterarguments
✅ Identify fallacies
✅ Analyze written and visual arguments
✅ Cite sources
This class is perfect for students who want to improve their writing skills, communicate more effectively, and be successful in high school, college, and the working world.

Persuasive Writing (G6&7) 

In this interactive class, 5-6th graders will learn how to express their opinions convincingly through persuasive writing. Students will explore how to craft strong arguments as well as address counterarguments using emotional and logical appeals. Students will also learn how to identify and critically analyze persuasive writing and visuals in the world around them.
By the end of the class, students will be able to:
✅ Write to a specific audience and for a specific purpose
✅ Write compelling persuasive essays, letters, emails, speeches, and presentations
✅ Use persuasive writing tools to support their arguments
✅ Identify and counter opposing viewpoints
✅ Use pathos, ethos, and logos to elicit the intended reader responses of emotion and intent
✅ Cite sources
This class is perfect for students who want to improve their writing skills, communicate more effectively, and be successful in high school, college, and the working world.

Crafting Compelling Essays (G7&8) 

In this engaging class, students will gain proficiency in the art of writing five fundamental essays:
Narrative Essay – Tells a story about a personal experience or an event.
Descriptive Essay – Uses vivid details to describe a person, place, or thing.
Expository Essay – Explains a topic with facts, without personal opinions.
Persuasive Essay – Tries to convince the reader to agree with a certain point of view.
Compare and Contrast Essay – Highlights similarities and differences between two subjects.
Through the writing process, students will develop critical thinking, prepare for standardized tests, write for academic success, increase their ability to communicate at an advanced level, perform research, become more organized, and express themselves creatively.

High School Essay Made Easy 

This 10-week summer class will serve as an introduction to high school essay writing. Aligned with the Common Core State Standards, the course will emphasize narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory essays. Globally, students will learn how to determine a narrow focus for their essays, organize their ideas effectively, and support their claims with evidence. At the sentence level, students will develop confidence in writing strong thesis statements, topic sentences, concluding sentences, and transitions. Additionally, students will practice using strong syntax and diction appropriate to their audience and subject, and they will learn how employing varied sentence structures contributes to the overall strength of their essays.

Students can expect to complete about 2-3 hours of homework per week. During the course of the 10-week class, students will write 3 multi-draft essays (narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory). For the first draft of each essay, they will receive written feedback from their peers. For the second draft of each essay, they will receive written feedback from the instructor. Their third draft will be graded using a class-designed rubric. Each draft will be due to their instructor by 5pm Wednesday. Students will receive feedback on their essays by 5pm each Thursday and will be expected to review that feedback before class on Friday. Students will also complete other homework tasks aimed at strengthening their writing skills.

National Scholastic Writing Contest Prep 

This class only focuses on Personal Essay Writing and Short Story. Students will get writing works to anticipate The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for young artists and writers in grades 7-12 talent teens.
Except when explicitly stated by the local program guidelines, there is no limitation on the number of categories in which a student may submit their work, nor is there a limit on the number of works that students can submit in each category.

John Locke Essay Competition Prep 

To explore the narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory genres in greater depth, as well as to learn about 8 other essay genres, including research/synthesis, compare/contrast, cause/effect, description, illustration, classification, definition, and exam essays, join us in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, too!

Creative Writing: Teacher Jennifer is a published writer and educator with over a decade of experience teaching young writers in a variety of academic settings. She has taught English in public and private high schools, college composition courses, and writing classes to middle-school students. A published fiction writer and poet, she graduated summa cum laude from Mills College with an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature. Jennifer especially enjoys small group instruction, where she can hone students’ unique talents, equipping them with tailored skills that allow them to succeed.

Narrative Essay: Ms Christina is an experienced and passionate educator with certifications in Social Studies, English, French, Gifted Education, and ESL. She currently teaches both virtually and in-person, working with students from elementary to high school. Christina specializes in creating engaging, challenging, and creative learning experiences that encourage students to think critically and explore new ideas. This summer, she is excited to help students grow their skills, spark curiosity, and have fun while learning!

Persuasive Writing (G4-G5): Ms. Beth is an English teacher of 26 years, remote instructor/tutor since 2020, author, and a freelance book editor. She has a B.A. in English, Minor in Secondary Education, and an M.Ed. in Reading. As an educator/tutor, she specializes in working with students of all ages, from elementary to college students, college-bound high schoolers, At-Risk populations, struggling learners, and people for whom English is a second language.

She has been molding young writers for many years and has taught both Scholastic Arts writing contest and New York Times writing contest classes before. Additionally, Beth is the author of the YA novels Find the Moon, Big Fat Disaster, The Patience Trilogy (Courage in Patience, Hope in Patience, and Truth in Patience), and co-author of the creative non-fiction book Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt (Ayni Books). She is currently at work on her first New Adult novel, a romance. Authenticity and finding one’s voice are frequent themes in Beth’s work, and they are absolutely essential themes in her life, as well.

Argument Writing，Persuasive Writing (G6-G7), Crafting Compelling Essay: April has been teaching English for 17 years. She earned her master’s degree in English from Northern Arizona University. Since then, she has taught all ages including teaching for a community college for the past 10 years. She loves working with children and has 9 children of her own; 5 have graduated from college with honors: one is an engineer, one has a master’s and degree in English, and one is getting his doctorate in physics. In my free time, she enjoys running marathons and competing in Ironman triathlons.

High School Essay Made Easy: Alison is an experienced English Language Arts educator with over 15 years of teaching across high school, college, and adult education. She holds a B.A. in English: Teacher Licensure from Elon University and an M.A. in Composition and Rhetoric from Miami University. Her passion for writing instruction began as a Writing Consultant, supporting students one-on-one through all stages of the writing process. Alison taught high school English for six years, including AP English Language and Composition, where nearly all her students scored a 4 or 5 on the AP exam. She has also taught French, college-level writing, and provided SAT/ACT tutoring and college essay support. Her students consistently see score improvements and gain confidence in their writing. With 10 years of experience teaching English to adult immigrants and refugees, Alison brings empathy, energy, and adaptability to her classroom. She enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, and spending time with family in her free time.

National Scholastic Writing Contest Prep, John Locke Essay Competition Prep: Ms. Beth is an English teacher of 26 years, remote instructor/tutor since 2020, author, and a freelance book editor. She has a B.A. in English, Minor in Secondary Education, and an M.Ed. in Reading. As an educator/tutor, she specializes in working with students of all ages, from elementary to college students, college-bound high schoolers, At-Risk populations, struggling learners, and people for whom English is a second language.

She has been molding young writers for many years and has taught both Scholastic Arts writing contest and New York Times writing contest classes before. Additionally, Beth is the author of the YA novels Find the Moon, Big Fat Disaster, The Patience Trilogy (Courage in Patience, Hope in Patience, and Truth in Patience), and co-author of the creative non-fiction book Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt (Ayni Books). She is currently at work on her first New Adult novel, a romance. Authenticity and finding one’s voice are frequent themes in Beth’s work, and they are absolutely essential themes in her life, as well.