We know you are busy getting our students ready for state tests. Thank you and please know you can reach out to us at any time for help and/or suggestions. Some of you have done this and we think we have been able to guide you in the right direction or provide support when things feel overwhelming.
On March 9th, Concept English attended the Spoken Word event to support our talented students. 
This month, many of your students competed at the annual Spoken Word Competition. Clare Brooks, Director of Social Studies, again did an outstanding job coordinating and running the program that took place in Indianapolis.
I was so excited to see that two schools participated this year that have not in the past: HSA Belmont and HSA Youngstown (pictured below).
Students from both schools reported how exciting it was to actually be at an event and how much they learned from this experience. Competing under the theme I Quit, more than 75 students competed. It is always profound to experience what our students tell us about themselves and the world around them. Thank you
In the end, these events are about partnerships. This photo captures the true nature of writing and performing as two students practice with each other and engage in a reciprocal process of mutual support. An email has gone out with the full list of winners and pictures will soon be available at http://socialstudies.conceptschools.org/spoken-word/.
Which brings us to the Writing Competition as our entries are due no later than March 29th!
This year’s theme Pen a Poem For Justice asks students to listen to song “Glory” and borrow words to write their own poems about justice weaving their personal stories with those of the events of the Civil Rights Movement. Many teachers have reached out to ask questions and to thank us for the lesson plans we created for each grade level. We have already received over 40 wonderful poems. However, you still have time to work with your students. Here again is the link for more information including lesson plans and rubric: http://english.conceptschools.org/writing-competition/
Entry Deadline: March 29, 2019
