Sixth graders from nine local school districts practiced writing fiction with author Alicia Klepeis during a recent Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program event.
“Students worked on the basics of writing their own story,” Herkimer BOCES Honors Program Coordinator Deborah Schoff said. “They began by creating believable characters and moved on to use the setting and plot to create realistic fiction. Students also used research to aid in their storylines.”
The “Think & write Like a Fiction/Nonfiction Author” Honors Program event took place on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center. Sixth graders from Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young, Poland and West Canada Valley attended the event.
“Students heard about Alicia's journey to becoming a writer. They learned where her ideas and inspiration come from and heard about her writing/editing processes,” Schoff said. “Thank you, Alicia, for sharing your talents and experiences as an author with us. It was a great workshop.”
The Herkimer BOCES Honors Program is open to students in Herkimer BOCES component school districts and is designed to support the potential of students in grades 3-12 who have above average interests and abilities in a particular area. Programs allow for interaction with like-minded peers. Students learn by engaging in educational activities with presenters who are noted in their field. Exploration and programs provide for different learning styles and include topics in the arts and sciences as well as literature and history. Ongoing evaluation of all programs by teachers and students assures their relevance and quality.