Last week, Holton seniors taking Ms. Maggie Spak's Love in Literature class participated in an exciting partnership through the PEN/Faulkner Foundation's Writers in Schools program. The Writers in Schools program brings nationally-known authors into classrooms to discuss literature and the writing process with students.
During the program, the Holton students were paired with a dozen young women from Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C. All seniors in high school, the Holton and Bell students had the honor of discussing the book, This Angel on My Chest, with each other as well as the book's author, Leslie Pietrzyk. Prior to meeting in person, the students had the opportunity to get to know each other during preliminary discussions via Skype.
"To my knowledge, this is Holton's first public school partnership regarding literature, so I think this example of local engagement is very exciting," said Spak.
The students carried on a lively discussion of the book which is a fictionalized, but very personal account of Pietrzyk losing her first husband. The students had many questions for the author which she answered openly and honestly, giving them an insider's take on the book.
Regarding her students' participation in the program, Spak said, "I was delighted to see that there never seemed to be a lull in conversation . . . I know that my seniors and Bell's seniors had much to learn from each other and share with each other."
Caroline McDonald '16 described the field trip saying, "[It] was a wonderful surprise. At first, I was scared that it'd be awkward and forced. However, I found the conversation with the girls was very easy and that they had some really interesting insight. Also, the author was so open and welcoming. I was disappointed when the question time was over."
Mya Harris '16 agreed saying, "I appreciated the discussion with the other school and the author . . . Seeing another class' perspective on the book was very eye-opening as well."
Holton-Arms aims to provide experiential learning opportunities whenever possible. The School is proud to be one of the first schools to participate in the Writers in Schools program and hopes to continue the partnership for years to come.
(Left): Caroline McDonald '16 chats with author, Leslie Pietrzyk. (Right): Mya Harris '16 and Gigi Asamoah-Mensah '16 discuss This Angel on My Chest with Bell Multicultural High School students.
(Left): Mya Harris '16 (left) continues the discussion with the Bell students. (Right): Megan Saunders '16 and Suhina Lal '16 also enjoy sharing and learning alongside the Bell students.