Lost Shoes in the Writing Center!

Did Dorothy lose another pair of shoes?  Today, tutors found an unexpected guest in the Writing Center: a sad, lonely pair of abandoned dress shoes.  If somehow during the course of the day your feet have found themselves without shoes, stop on by and pick up your fabulous footwear.  Please be swift, because the unnerving position of the shoes makes it seem like a ghost has been sitting in the Writing Center all day...

The Force Is Strong at the "Star Wars" Eat 'N Speak

On Friday, November 20th, students and teachers alike piled into the packed Jean Ann Cone Library to watch the diverse performances that are typical of any Eat 'N Speak.  However, this particular Eat 'N Speak was different - it was "Star Wars" themed!  In honor of the upcoming new installment of the blockbuster franchise, the library was decked out in themed decorations, including character cut-outs of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Yoda; a tiny yet extremely intricate Ewok village; and even a life-sized Jabba the Hutt!

Jabba the Hutt made an appearance at the Eat 'N Speak! (photo courtesy of The Berkeley Fanfare)

Students and teachers alike had a great time, thanks to the delicious food, creative decorations, and amazing acts!  Check out some photos of the acts below, and thanks to everyone who performed!

Seniors Julia Peacock and Jack Eppink kicked off the Eat 'N Speak with a moving performance of "Imagine."

Sophomore Natalie Belluccia sang a wonderful original song.

Junior Anjali Shah read a poem about Thanksgiving - aptly chosen for this time of year!

Senior Grace Roman sang "Tongue Tied."

This Eat 'N Speak was a clear success and got students excited about the upcoming movie.  Stay tuned for more information about the Writing Center's first Eat 'N Speak of 2016!

Multidivisional Midterm Mash-up!

The Berkeley Writing Center is venturing into some new territory - the Sixth Grade Science classrooms!  The Center will need all hands on deck for the first week of December when all tutors will get together to help Berkeley’s sixth graders with research papers for their science midterm exams. Tutors are excited to help in every stage of the process from planning to perfecting and can't wait to spend some time with students from another division! Clear your schedules and get ready for some pre-midterm fun!

Upcoming Star Wars Eat 'N Speak!

Experience a taste of Star Wars at this Eat 'N Speak ahead of the movie's December 18th release date! (starwars.wikia.com)

On Friday, November 20th, the Writing Center will host another Eat 'N Speak!  This time, the theme is Star Wars in honor of the upcoming release of the newest movie in the blockbuster franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Come out at lunchtime to see all of the Star Wars-themed acts and eat some delicious snacks inspired by the movies!  Rumor has it that there will even be "Wookie Cookies" and pretzel lightsabers...

If this exciting Eat 'N Speak doesn't fulfill your all your Star Wars needs, the Student Library Proctors are hosting a movie night that will show Episodes IV, V, and VI.

Get excited for such a Star Wars-filled day, and may the force be with you!

The Ideal Tutor

When asked who they would most like to tutor them, our Writing Center interns and directors had some diverse responses!  Here are their "ideal tutors."

John Green (wsj.com)

Madeline Katsarelis '16 said her ideal tutor is John Green, a prominent young adult novelist whose works include The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.  "He writes plot twists that tie together," she says. Plus, she also likes Green's YouTube channel, where he posts videos about a variety of different topics.

George R.R. Martin (winteriscoming.net)

Zach Diamandis '16 would most like to be tutored by George R.R. Martin, the famed scientific fiction novelist whose works led to the acclaimed Game of Thrones television series.  "His books are very good," he says.  "They go beyond visual imagery to sensory and auditory imagery. He creates plot tension without physical conflict."  Lance Esposito '16 chimed in as well, saying that "the dialogue is amazing!"

J.K. Rowling (plus.google.com)

Mira Rajani '17 said that she would love to be tutored by J.K. Rowling, the beloved author of the bestselling Harry Potter series.  "She seems really cool  because of the way she interacts with her fans," Mira says. "She builds cool worlds, too!"

Emma Watson (businessinsider.com)

After Mira mentioned J.K. Rowling, Madeline chimed back in and said she would also like to be tutored by Emma Watson, who played Hermione in the Harry Potter movies and is now a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. "She went to Brown, she's a U.N. Ambassador, and she's a strong feminist!" Madeline says.

Morgan Freeman (monstersandcritics.com)

Annie Phifer '16 said that she would like to be tutored by actor Morgan Freeman. "Anything he reads sounds nice, so my writing would automatically sound better!" She says. "Plus, he seems very perceptive."

Kermit the Frog (characters.wikia.com)

Finally, Mr. Brandt said that he would enjoy a tutorial with Kermit the Frog!  "He just gets me," Mr. Brandt says.

Academy Prep Tutorials: A Beloved Writing Center Tradition

Every year, Writing Center tutors eagerly await their favorite event of the school year: the week of Academy Prep tutorials!  After members of the Academy Prep outlook group travel to Academy Prep to teach mini lessons on writing skills, the students then travel to Berkeley Prep to work one-on-one with a tutor on what they learned.

Before their tutorials begin, students and tutors chat over a delicious lunch.

Before meeting with tutors, Academy Prep students take a tour around Berkeley's campus.  Then, armed with the writing they've been working on since the mini lessons, the students pile into the Jean Ann Cone Library.  Over a lunch of warm pizza, cool drinks, and delicious cookies, Academy Prep students and Writing Center tutors chat and bond before their tutorials start.

Writing Center tutors work one-on-one with Academy Prep students, creating a fun time for all!

Once the one-on-one tutorials begin, the library takes on a special air: every student and every tutor is engaged and fully engrossed in his or her writing, and the passion and enthusiasm is infectious!  This amazing event truly helps spread the love of writing, and Academy Prep students and Writing Center tutors alike are sure to be eagerly awaiting the next lunchtime tutorial session!

Lessons at Academy Prep

In keeping with yearly tradition, members of the Writing Center's Academy Prep outreach group traveled to Academy Prep to teach the students mini lessons on writing skills and styles.

Tutors teach engaging lessons to Academy Prep students.

As always, both the tutors and the students had a great time.  The students really enjoyed having people close to their own age visiting their classrooms.  Mira Rajani, a junior, said that "working with the kids was an amazing experience! Every student really wanted to learn and had an incredible amount of determination."

Mira Rajani smiles as she works with a group of students.

Mira liked the change of routine that comes with working with the students at Academy Prep.  "By teaching a lesson rather than tutoring an individual paper, we were able to see the kids really improve certain writing skills and put them into action," she said.

Janae Noah teaches a mini lesson to a class.

Madeline Katsarelis, a Berkeley senior, taught a lesson on "showing not telling" and writing personal narratives to 6th grade boys.  "I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the boys because they were so kind, respectful, intelligent, and creative.  It was so fun to play teacher, especially for such a great group of kids," she said.

Teaching mini-lessons to Academy Prep students has become a beloved Berkeley tradition for many reasons, but Madeline sums it up best: "The students' enthusiasm was infectious!"  All of the members of the Academy Prep outreach group eagerly await their next trip to Academy Prep!

Disco Eat 'N Speak is a Success!

Seniors Morgan Alexander (left) and Julia Peacock host the event.

The Writing Center's first Eat 'N Speak of the year was so much fun!  Last Friday, a crowd of students and faculty alike gathered together to watch students perform songs, poems, and skits.  Check out these pictures from the event!

Natalie sang a beautiful piece she wrote herself!

Senior Jake Meyer performed an amazing original piece!

Seniors Grace Roman (left) and Tina Pepin sang together.

Senior Jack Eppink treated the audience to a great song he wrote himself!

Senior Riley Graham read one of his poems.

Performers even dabbled in a little bit of hilarious improv!

 If this disco-themed Eat 'N Speak was any indication, the Writing Center is sure to put on a year full of fun events.  Make sure to come out to our next Eat 'N Speak to perform a piece of your own or to support our school's amazing talent!

Tutors Perform Secret Acts of Kindness

       What an awesome week to be a Berkeley Writing Center tutor! Amidst the stress of the first weeks back to school, our teachers and directors collaborated to put together our very first Acts of Kindness week as a Writing Center community.
       Last week, each tutor in the center was paired with a secret buddy and performed a small act to brighten that person's day - all while remaining anonymous. The goal of the Secret Acts of Kindness was to increase the sense of community within the Writing Center.  Emma Edmund said, "My tutor made me cookies and wished me luck at my next swim meet. I learned that it can actually be really fun to put together a gift for someone, and it's really nice to have someone do something for you."
       The Secret Acts of Kindness made each tutor's day a little better - how nice is it to get a sweet note or some candy from anonymous buddy?  Clearly, the Writing Center is a happy, welcoming place!

A Busy Day for the Writing Center

Tutors help 9th graders brainstorm ideas for their "Zooming In" papers.

The Writing Center was hopping today!  An abundance of students from both Middle and Upper Divisions came to the center for tutorials.  As these students found, the Writing Center is the perfect place to get help with any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to a final proofread.  Special thanks to those tutors who went out of their way to give these students the individualized tutorials they needed!

Writing Center Undergoes Big Changes

The Writing Center is undergoing big changes, and you don’t want to miss out!

Tutors love the new space!

With our new location in the Steinbrenner building, we’ve revamped the Writing Center, featuring a spacious area and a new design. Comfy seats, a sofa, and circular tables make the Writing Center an ideal place for students to collaborate and work. In addition, there are multiple tables of various sizes, so tutees will have the option of sitting wherever they are most comfortable. The larger space will also allow us to tutor more people at one time.

Furthermore, the location of the center may be a convenient change as we are now closer to the English rooms and the library. So if you’re off to English class or to study hall, try making a quick stop at the new and improved Writing Center! We are always staffed with tutors who would be happy to show you the changes, or better yet, to help you with your writing.

The spacious new Writing Center has comfy couches, too.

Stay tuned for more updates about Berkeley’s Writing Center! 

Tutor Retreat Starts Year off Right

Tutors work together to draw their "ideal tutor."

During the first hectic but exciting week of school, the tutors of the Writing Center came together during a “retreat” after school to bond and to improve tutoring techniques.  The tutors watched informative videos, ate delicious snacks, chatted with one another, played fun bonding games, drew their idea of an “ideal tutor,” and worked together to edit sample papers.  Thanks to the hard work of the Writing Center directors Mr. Brandt, Mr. Righter, and Mrs. Marcantuono-Polstra, everyone had a great time!

At the beginning of the retreat, new tutors had the chance to talk with veteran tutors and ask them any questions they had about how things run.  Jessica Cascio said the retreat was “an effective yet fun experience, especially as a new tutor this year.  I really got a good feel for what the Writing Center is really about and the type of community we’re trying to be.”

Soon afterward, the tutors watched videos that showed the right and wrong ways to tutor a student.  Mira Rajani liked both the conversation between tutors and the videos: “I think the interviews gave new tutors a good preview as to what the process should be like, along with the videos – they also helped a lot with this!”

Tutors practice tutoring a paper together.

A common theme throughout the retreat was teamwork – tutors, both new and old, were grouped together during games, drawing activities, and mock tutorials.  “I thought that working in groups worked really well for the retreat,” said Caroline Brown.  Cascio agreed: “Something that worked well was that there were both old and new tutors here and we all did everything together as a group.”  Nathalie Adams thought that “it was a lot of fun playing games!  It was also very helpful to actually practice tutoring a paper as well.”  The teamwork skills that all tutors learned during the retreat will certainly add to the sense of community in the Writing Center!

Clearly the first Berkeley Writing Center retreat was a success!  Coming together as a group, we set the tone for a year filled with teamwork, a strong sense of community, and fun.  Rajani summed it up best: “It was super fun but we also learned a lot!”  The Writing Center tutors are ready to tutor papers and spread their love of writing around campus this year!

Dr. Pam Childers Inspires Tutors

Dr. Pam Childers's visit to Berkeley was engaging, informative, and provided current tutors with a fresh perspective on the tutoring process. In the words of senior Elizabeth Pearce, "Dr. Childers helped me remember what tutoring is all about- the writer gaining confidence in his own work." Students in general particularly enjoyed her story about acting out a student's story on her hands and knees to show sometimes our writing does not accurately convey what we are trying to say. Senior Emily Dolgin was fortunate enough to have Dr. Childers visit her AP Language class where she made the effort to connect with each student individually and relate her personal stories to the students' interests. Her visit inspired all of us to become better tutors and carry the lessons working in the Writing Center has taught us in all our future endeavors.

Visiting Lecturer - Dr. Pamela Childers

We will have a visiting lecturer, Dr. Pamela Childers, coming to speak with our tutors and members of our center. For many years she was director of the Caldwell Writing Center at the McCallie School after starting a writing center in a public school in New Jersey. Former president of the International Writing Centers Association, presenter and consultant with writing centers internationally, Pam is the author of numerous publications on secondary school writing centers including The High School Writing Center: Establishing and Maintaining One and co-author of the forthcoming WAC Partnerships Among Secondary and Postsecondary Institutions. She is the recipient of the IWCA and SWCA Service Awards. Pam currently serves as an Executive Editor of The Clearing House and collaborates with writing center directors and tutors internationally. She has been a longtime friend of our center, helping us to present at conferences and introducing us to other high school writing centers. She will be speaking to the tutors about Writing Center culture and the faculty directors to help us become an even better Writing Center!

Highlights from the Writing Center's Annual Author's Tea

Slideshow created with Smilebox

Tutors Skype with Mourning High School

On Wednesday, March 4^th, three of our Writing Center tutors Skyped with students from Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School and one of the writing center directors from Florida International University.  Daniela Marques, Vikram Nandyala, and Carolyn Tirella represented our Writing Center and gave advice to a group of students wanting to start their own writing center at their school.  Hopefully, this is just the start of an ongoing relationship between our two schools.  Our Writing Center is proud to have made another connection with students outside of our school, and we hope that they will soon be able to start their own center!

Upcoming First Grade Tutorial

As spring rolls around, the Writing Center is gearing up for one of our most popular events of the school year- the first grade tutorial, which will take place on Wednesday, March 11. Writing Center tutors are paired up with first graders to help them perfect the stories they will share with their parents later this year at the first grade tea. Not only is this event a positive learning experience for both the tutors and first graders, it is also a fun way to establish relationships between different age groups and get to know Berkeley's younger students. Spending time with first graders can improve our own writing as their strong imaginations inspire us all to explore our creative side.

Writing Center tutors write greeting letters introducing themselves to their first grade buddies.