Summer Writing Competition
Enter the NYT’s 14th Annual Summer Reading Contest
Designed for middle and high school students who want to develop their writing ability as they keep up with reliable news
Summer Session
This eight-week course meets once per week for sixty minutes. The class date and time will be announced by mid-March.
Overview
This course offers students an exciting opportunity to meet weekly and prepare submissions for the NYT Annual Summer Reading Contest. Drawing on IEW principles to craft their entries, students will experiment with formality and tone to compose excellent reader responses. They will critically engage with texts, using specific details and quotes to show how a piece personally connects to them or broadens their understanding of a particular issue. At the end of each week, judges from the Times newsroom pick their favorite responses and publish them.
“I love thinking that today’s students are gaining an interest in the world or expanding their knowledge base on certain topics by reading these articles. I would always encourage them to read more. The Times’s reporting is incredible, but it’s not the end all be all. If you’re interested in an article, Google the topic. Google the author. Read around. Get a book on the subject. Go to protests. Talk to experts. Talk to your grandparents, if you’re lucky enough to have them around. There is always more to learn!”
-Pia Peterson, who writes for The Times’s Reader Center
About the Contest
Students will be entering the NYT 14th Annual Summer Reading Contest. You can find additional information about the contest on the NYT website here.
Additional Information
Class Size
6 students maximum
Dates
Coming soon!
Enrollment Fees
$25 registration fee for new students
$560 for 8 classes
Early Bird Registration: 20% off for those who enroll by April 30.
>Instructor
In 2013, Ms. Lauren Bridgeford graduated with a BA in Languages, Literature, and Criticism from Hunter College. She has also obtained her DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification from Cambridge University. Currently, Ms. Bridgeford is a Registered Instructor accredited by the Institute for Excellence in Writing, and she is pursuing her master’s degree in Secondary Education.
>Required Materials
There are no physical materials required for this course.
>Homework
Students will engage in different stages of the writing process both during class and at home. Our goal is to provide students with as much in-class time as possible to workshop their ideas and independently craft their responses. We recommend allotting 60 minutes per week to complete out-of-class writing work.
>Technology Requirements
Google Classroom. Students must have either their own email or access to a parent’s email.
Zoom. Students can follow Zoom’s hardware and software guidelines to prepare their environment.
Printer. Students should know how to scan and submit their work, and they should have access to a printer.
>Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to enroll in this course.
>Continuing Education
Students can transition to a full-year group class in September.
Note: The minimum enrollment required for this course is four (4) students. Rose Writing Center reserves the right to cancel this course in the event that fewer than four students enroll. Students enrolled in a canceled course will be duly notified and may choose to either receive a full refund or transfer to another course by Rose Writing Center.
In 2013, Ms. Lauren Bridgeford graduated with a BA in Languages, Literature, and Criticism from Hunter College. She has also obtained her DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification from Cambridge University. Currently, Ms. Bridgeford is a Registered Instructor accredited by the Institute for Excellence in Writing, and she is pursuing her master’s degree in Secondary Education.
Deanna Heikkinen has been privately teaching writing as well as history, literature, and art history to students grades 2-12 for over six years. Prior to that, she was a tenured professor of humanities at Los Angeles Valley College with a focus on teaching the Great Books of Western Civilization. Additionally, she taught world history, western civilization, Native American history, and anthropology at the college level. Whether teaching elementary, middle, or high schoolers for Rose Writing Center, Deanna's diverse background allows her to serve as our test prep, academic support, and custom lesson specialist.
