Whiteman Elementary students attend Young Authors Conference

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Twelve students from Whiteman Elementary recently attended the Young Authors Conference held at University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg.

More than 500 parents, teachers and students from several schools in Missouri attended the conference April 12.

"Each year, elementary students grades 2-6 are selected to attend the conference from area schools," said Lynn Wilson, Title 1 reading teacher at Whiteman Elementary.

"The Young Authors Conference is a collaborative effort involving authors, parents, classroom teachers, administrators and pre-service teachers," she said. "It provides a wonderful opportunity to bring together a community of readers and writers."

Each year the conference features an author to speak to the children. This year, award-winning author Vicki Grove spoke to those attending about her life experiences and how they have helped her write her novels which revolve around life in the American Midwest.

"I learned you have to be very creative to write stories," said Kristin Winslow, age 10. "And if you are an author it's ok to be loopy."

"I learned that you have to have a good beginning or else no one will read your story," said Paige Teel, age 9.

Following the guest speaker, the children and their parents separated into group sand came together to read their stories out loud to other children and another author who was on hand to provide comments and suggestions.

"I learned you have to have a bunch of describing words to make a story neat and interesting," said Avery Snelling, age 10.

One story from each grade will be randomly chosen each week and will be printed in the Whiteman Warrior beginning this week and for the next three weeks. All the stories submitted are also available on the Whiteman Air Force Base public site at www.whiteman.af.mil.