High school mimics FMU

By: Brittany Parker

Posted: 1/27/10

In a first for Florence School District One, South Florence High School opened its Writing Center to students this month.
This addition comes after South Florence teachers visited FMU's campus Writing Center.
Teachers in the school's English department, who rotate tutoring shifts in the center, came together to develop the concept and put it into action.
"I believe we're one of only two high schools with Writing Centers," English teacher Jeannine Franco said. "They're predominantly on college campuses but not high school campuses."
Carol Hill, South Florence's Small Learning Communities Coordinator, said that the idea came from those teachers discussing student need for help in developing writing skills.
"Our students really need writing assistance across the curriculum, not just in English," Franco said. "This is what the Writing Center is all about."
Franco also said that she hopes to the new facility will aid students in taking the HSAP and SAT, as well as in preparing for college.
Franco and fellow English teacher Sherri Helton both said that the Writing Center could help students prepare for college.
"I think sometimes students don't realize that once they get to college they will have to write papers for different classes," said Helton.
"The Writing Center is a terrific idea and I hope the students take advantage of it," said English teacher Marilyn Chapman.
Twelve out of the school's 16 English teachers are helping to form the Writing Center to fulfill their Goal Based Evaluations requirements.
Helton said that every teacher in District 1 must complete one goal per year for a more continual assessment of teachers.
"We did this collectively to achieve one of our goals," Helton said.
South Florence's Media Center houses the new Writing Center, which is open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for an hour after school ends. This resulted in the Media Center staying open an extra hour, a change that Hill said she has noticed students utilizing.
"I want the students to use the Writing Center to improve in any class, not just English," Chapman said. "Students can come in if they're writing a social studies or a math report."
Franco said that she would like to see the Writing Center expand its hours to also help students before school begins.
"I hope the one-on-one instruction will help produce better and more thoughtful writers," Helton said.
Helton also said that she and several fellow teachers will visit Lancaster High School on Jan. 27 to see how their Writing Center works and what kind of resources they utilize. After this, they will create a wish list of materials, such as stylebooks, that they need.
Hill said that the school did not incur any expenses in opening the new facility.
"Right now we have no costs," Hill said. "We already have teachers, computers, and paper and everything."
She said that school's computer lab upgraded two years ago and the existing computers were moved to the Media Center. Over the summer, those computers were also upgraded. Hill said that these changes were "very helpful" in starting the Writing Center.
Media Specialist Dana Turner also said that Hill received a grant that allowed Turner to receive payment for staying late, since the Media Center is now open longer. The grant promotes literacy to three local high schools.
Currently, one teacher works in the center at a time free of charge.
"We'd love to have the problem of needing more teachers," Hill said.
"It's very new, so right now there are not a lot of takers," Helton said.
Hill said that she hopes the teachers will eventually be paid for their efforts and is working toward a grant to achieve this.