Dear SSA Family and Friends,

Welcome to Storyland! This year, the English department has been working diligently on this special English Language Arts event, celebrating the joy of creative writing! Designed to highlight the imaginative journeys of our students from Kindergarten to Grade 6, Storyland showcases their ability to share ideas and create original stories. This event honours the power of creativity and the timeless art of storytelling, skills that are more important than ever in our digital age.

In preparation for our Storyland event, our students delved into the writing process: brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Understanding the writing process is essential, as it shows children that writing is not just about getting to the final product, but also about embracing each stage. It teaches them patience, persistence, and the importance of refining their thoughts. Storyland gives students the chance to take their story from a small idea to a finished piece, helping them feel a deep sense of accomplishment.

The journey into the world of creative writing began in Kindergarten, where our young learners have been building their phonemic awareness through the “Lively Letters” phonics program. As budding authors, each child was assigned a sound, chose a word starting with that letter, and used inventive spelling to sound it out, then illustrated their word, demonstrating both phonics knowledge and creativity.

Kindergarten students have been developing their phonemic awareness skills through the Lively Letters program, connecting letters and sounds with engaging stories. For our Storyland event, each child was assigned a sound, selected a word that began with that letter, used inventive spelling to sound it out, and illustrated it with a drawing. Their work demonstrates significant progress in letter-sound recognition, first sound fluency, and creative expression.

Grade 1 students took their knowledge of sounds and stories to the next level, by exploring more personalized, imaginative approaches. Each student was assigned two specific sounds, and encouraged to create their own stories to explain why each sound behaves the way it does. This creative exercise allowed them to deepen their understanding of phonics while stretching their storytelling skills.

In Grade 2, students explored their creative potential through poetry, crafting their own Diamante poems and interpreting the humorous piece, "My Tongue is Tasting Terrible." This exploration of language helped our young writers express themselves in unique and engaging ways.

Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 5 took on the challenge of crafting their own versions of Pourquoi stories, Fables, and Fractured Fairy Tales. These students used their knowledge of narrative structure to reimagine classic tales and create new, inventive versions that reflect their growing skills as storytellers.

In Grade 6, students combined everything they have learned throughout the years to write creative narratives that showcase their mastery of various writing genres. These narratives reflect the hard work, skill, and growth our students have shown over the course of their time at Solomon Schechter Academy.

We are incredibly proud of the growth that our students have made as writers, and we are excited to share their hard work with you. Congratulations to all of our young authors!

To our former Vice-Principal and Director of English Studies, Binnie Druker, whose vision and leadership have instilled in us a legacy of love for reading and writing, thank you for your enduring influence.

A very special thank you to the English Language Arts teachers, assistants, and support staff. Your unwavering encouragement, dedication, and passion have been truly instrumental in helping our students develop into the talented authors they are today. Your efforts have made Storyland an unforgettable, special experience for all of our students.

Shari Stone
Director of English Studies