Student writers share their best work at annual celebration
Camila Merlos, a fourth-grader at Theodore Judah Elementary,
stood before the crowd of 150 people last month and proudly read a deeply
personal, two-page essay she had written for class. And just four years prior
to that moment, she had only known a few words of English.
Camila was one of 60 students who were honored at the annual
Districtwide Writing Celebration, a celebration of young writers that
encourages students of all ages to share their best work before a crowd of
teachers, families, and students. Hundreds of pieces were submitted from
schools throughout the District, and 13 of FCUSD’s elementary, middle, and high
schools were represented at the May event.
Camila’s moving personal essay was one such honoree. In it,
she told the story of her first year living in the United States, after her
family moved from Mexico, when she copied her classmates because she didn’t
know how to say basic sentences. “The only two options that I saw were to play
with kids that spoke Spanish, or play with kids that didn’t speak Spanish and
just nod my head and keep playing with them,” she wrote.
By first grade, however, her confidence in speaking English
grew as she learned from her classmates. In 2013, she earned a reclassification
from English Learner to Fluent English Proficient – and has even begun taking
Mandarin classes. “Learning a new language is a very interesting experience
that can be facilitated by conversing, writing, reading, and also copying local
idioms,” Camila wrote.
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for photos of Camila and other student writers at this year’s celebration!