826michigan is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
Here at 826michigan we tend to love pretty much any endeavor that is creative, sustained, and technically demanding. (Like writing an epic poem in haiku form.) That means that we LOVE movies - even those without robots in them!
Alas, Real Steel got locked out of the Academy Award nominations this year, but there are plenty of interesting choices on this just-announced list. Best Picture Nominee Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was a favorite of many of our volunteers, and Best Adapted Screenplay Nominee Hugo warmed our robot-loving hearts. (There's room enough for automatons in the robot family tree.)
But what do we know? We're just movie enthusiasts, not movie experts.
FORTUNATELY, we have a bona-fide movie expert on our Board of Directors! MetroTimes film critic Jeff Meyers, along with Detroit News film critic Tom Long, are joining us for a very special event next
month: A Taste Of The Oscars!
We'll taste five wines provided by Everyday Wines, enjoy the lovely ambiance at Kerrytown Concert House, and watch clips of this year's Best Picture Nominees as Jeff and Tom share the insider's view on this year's Academy Awards: what to expect, what may be unexpected, and a bit of the wacky history of the broadcast. We hope to see you there!
One of the reasons we started this Supporter of the Month feature was
to acknowledge and honor the many businesses that, like vertebrae,
form the backbone of much of what 826michigan does around town. There
are many such businesses, but one of the largest and most important is
the one-and-only Andy Garris, barman and Ypsilanti personality
extraordinaire. Andy has been associated with many Ypsilanti
establishments, but his current gig is at a place EQUALLY wonderful as
he is: Woodruff's Bar in Depot Town!
(How far can we take this vertebrae metaphor? Will we name an EXACT
vertebra to which we will compare Andy and Woodruff's? Answer: no. But
suffice to say it is, again, a large and important one. And it
probably has a mustache.)
Andy Garris is known for many things: his mean Bloody Mary, his sense
of style, and yes, his mustache. But we also know him as an
enthusiastic and generous person who has, over the years, shown
himself to be more than willing to help 826michigan out in any way he
can.
And OH, has he helped 826michigan.
You have probably at this point heard about last month's Mittenfest
VI, which featured 60 awesome bands and raised $21,290 for our
Ypsilanti-based programs. It was, to say the very least, an
astonishing event for us. And it really, really -- REALLY --
could not have happened without Andy and the amazingly dedicated staff
at Woodruff's, who ably manned the door, slung drinks at the bar,
served delicious food, and ushered the festival through innumerable
band changes with nary a hitch. The staff performed like the
proverbial well-oiled machine, and as with any such performance it was
delightful to watch and to be a part of.
But Mittenfest VI is not the only successful event Andy has made
possible -- not by FAR. Andy has been a friend of 826michigan for so
long that enumerating his contributions would be well-nigh impossible.
Last year, Woodruff's hosted the Love Hangover and the Spelling Bee
for Honest Cheaters (which raised $23,000!), to say nothing of an
incredible poetry slam featuring students from Ozone House and (I am
told) some DELICIOUS corndogs. All of these events were staffed with
the same dedication and skill shown at Mittenfest VI. And before too
long, 826michigan will be returning to Woodruff's for this year's
iterations of the Love Hangover and the Spelling Bee!
We are SO grateful to everyone over at Woodruff's for giving
826michigan a home away from home. (And what a home it is! We are
extremely partial to the needlepoint presidents hanging above the
fireplace.) We can't wait to see you all again to shake off our Love
Hangover!
We do this whole workshop-schedule thing approximately four times a year but it always has a special tingly sheen to it. Why? Because in addition to being incredibly popular (we can just sense legions ready to pounce when registration opens tomorrow at 7pm), workshops are incredibly FUN. They're a place for our creative, wonderful volunteers to really flex their creative, wonderful idea-generating wings. And the results are always fantastic.
I don't want to spoil TOO many of the wonderful surprises awaiting the general public when the workshop schedule goes up tonight, but I'd like to quote here a few snippets from this winter's workshop titles and descriptions. Just to whet your appetite even more than it is, already, whetted.
"Come make a valentine poem for someone YOU love!
Colby, a Canine Assistants Service Dog, will help share her knack for poetry, being lovey-dovey, and valentine cards to help you craft a poem of your own."
"What does purple taste like? What is green's deepest secret?"
"Blah! Come celebrate Valentine’s Day in a new, tear-soaked way by learning to write about the not-so-happily-ever-after: the tragic story."
"But let’s imagine that it is the year 2056 and YOU are running for President of the United States. In this workshop, you decide what the urgent issues will be in 2056: An impending robot takeover? A devastating global banana shortage? A proliferation of paper clips that threatens the stapler industry?"
WHOA. This is just a sampling of the many words describing the many workshops on offer this winter, and we are ALREADY blown away. And we haven't even seen what the STUDENTS will write!
Weird fact: it's still TECHNICALLY fall! So all those puffy coats, snow boots, and chill breezes? They are autumn puffy coats, snow boots and chill breezes for just a few more days!
(Admittedly, some of the most recent autumn chill breezes have been a little, well, chilly...)
Okay, okay, so only the most pedantic of souls would insist that it is still fall. Given that I am writing this blog post, not my dad (hi Dad! Love ya!), I'll give up the it's-still-autumn ghost.
BUT how about a little autumn nostalgia to wrap up the season? Join 826michigan students on a prairie walk through Dow Prairie simply by clicking right here.
Here's Program Coordinator Catherine to explain what brought about this charming video:
Here's the next wonderful installment of student voices from 826michigan's Nichols Arboretum workshops led by the inimitable Ami Walsh and Jane Hayes. Three times a year, Jane, Ami, and a group of dedicated volunteers take a workshop on a hike through the Arb to explore the secrets of each season. This October, we traversed the Alex Dow Prairie, and our students composed wonderful poems about their findings there. Many thanks to volunteers Jane, John, Derek, Brea, Lindsay, Sarah, Polly, Dena, and Anna, and to Bob Grese & Linda Neely from Nicholas Arboretum for making this workshop a success. Special gratitude to Ami for recording our students and creating such a lovely tribute to them and to their work.
I know people in This Modern World of Ours are constantly entreated to click on links, watch videos, etc etc etc, and I also know that I personally rarely feel compelled to do so. No compulsion here, but I really think you should try this one out. It's five minutes that will amuse and delightful and leave you with an effervescent feeling in your very SOUL.
If you'd like to join us for the winter installment of our nature writing workshop, keep an eye out for the Winter 2012 workshop schedule. It will be posted on Tuesday, January 10, at 7pm. Registration opens the following day, Wednesday, January 11, also at 7pm!
For this, our second Supporter of the Month, we wanted to feature one of the many individual donors who help keep the lights on here at 826HQ. One popped immediately to mind: the lovely Wendy Sherrill.
Those of us who work at nonprofits know very well that the typical donor does not look or act like one might expect a Donor to. (Elements of a Donor: Fur coat? Small, fussy dog? Perhaps a sweater vest [but probably not concurrently with the fur coat]? A building with the family name on the door? MULTIPLE buildings with the family name on the door?)
In reality, most of the people who donate to 826michigan are refreshingly regular. (But, because they support 826michigan, they also tend to be really funny and literate, too. Of course we WOULD say that, but it actually is The Objective Truth.)
Wendy Sherrill is one of these refreshingly regular people. She works in marketing and can often be found enjoying a bite at Zingerman's Deli or playing in Ann Arbor parks with her two kids. Wendy is what we call a Sustainer, meaning she makes a modest but regular contribution on a monthly basis. In point of fact, Wendy PIONEERED this program by making monthly donations before we even had a system for people to make monthly donations! Additionally, Wendy has attended our fund-raising How To Write Like I Do workshops for adults and even donated her time recently to usher at our festival of one-act plays, Five Bowls of Oatmeal.
Although Wendy's contributions can be summed up in a few short sentences, our appreciation for her could never be. We are so glad to know that generous, involved people like Wendy are out there in our community, and that they believe in what we are doing. It honestly -- honestly -- means the world.
Of 826michigan, Wendy says, "I think I learned about 826michigan from a friend about 6 years ago. I was looking for a local organization to get involved with and have been a supporter ever since. Writing meant a lot to me as a kid (and still does) and I love how 826michigan helps kids find their voice. I am always amazed by the fun that goes into 826michigan activities. Events like Five Bowls of Oatmeal are so unique. I think that creative energy is a big draw for kids and volunteers."
WENDY. We are BLUSHING. We are always amazed by YOU! Thank you so much for what you do! If we could name a building after you or buy you a fur coat/sweater vest, we totally would. But please accept this blog post, and our sincere gratitude, instead.
(Interested in following in Wendy's footsteps and becoming a Sustainer? Please do! Sustainers make monthly contributions of any amount, allowing us to do things like buy copy paper and serve snacks for our students. They also earn, let's be real here, a Very Special place in our hearts. Get in touch with Executive Director Amanda at Amanda@826michigan.org for more information on becoming a Sustainer!)"
Next week is a GREAT time to swing by and pick up a few robotic goodies. We're participating in the Main Street Area Association's 12 Days of Giving celebration! From Monday, December 12, to Friday, December 23, Liberty Street Robot Supply and Repair (along with a whole host of other Main Street businesses) will be supporting one local nonprofit per day. The line-up here is ALL-STAR, friends: SafeHouse Center, Food Gatherers, Ozone House, Habitat for Humanity of Washtenaw County -- AND MANY MORE! 12 Days of Giving is a great way of killing the two birds with one stone by supporting local businesses AND local nonprofits.
(Would these two birds be, perhaps, turtledoves? In honor of the 12 Days? Maybe? Maybe?)
There does happen to be one organization that is both a local business AND a local nonprofit: 826michigan/Liberty Street Robot Supply and Repair! (Heard of them?) What does this mean for you, 12 Days of Giving shopper? When you are out and about on Tuesday, December 13, make a point to stop into Main Street businesses (again, an all-star list: Vault of Midnight, Sole Sisters, Acme Mercantile, and the list goes on. AND ON.), because they will donating to US!
(Whoever came up with this 12 Days of Giving idea should be given a golden ring. Maybe even FIIIIIIIIVE GOLDEN RIIIIINGS. Thank you, Main Street Area Association!)
Next week also brings another exciting event: our much-anticipated screening of the new documentary American Teacher at the Michigan Theater! This documentary, produced by 826 National founders Dave Eggers and Ninive Calegari and narrated by Everybody's Favorite Actor Matt Damon, follows the lives of four teachers as they advance through professional milestones and face mounting struggles. It promises to be both an enlightening film and an inspiring call to action.
American Teacher will be screened at the Michigan Theater on Wednesday, December 14, at 7pm. We'll have a Q & A session with Jonathan Dearman, one of the teachers featured in the movie, and Dan Moulthrop, educational policy wizard. We're also inviting some VERY special guests: our In-School Residency teachers, and 826michigan volunteers! We'll be recognizing these dedicated and wonderful people, so come out and show your support.
Tickets are only six dollars! Find them (and more information) here!
It's that time of year again, when programs grind to a halt and the store amps up. (Speaking of which, have you checked out our magnificent online store? You can order seventy of our best, most-beloved products with just $5 flat rate shipping in the US!)
At any rate, as we wrap up another calendar year of programs, we wanted to bring some dates to your attention:
End dates:
On Thursday, December 8, we'll hold our last tutoring session (both at 826 and at YMS) in 2011.
The Fall Workshop Schedule wraps up December 7.
In-school Residencies go on a short hiatus starting around December 21.
Start dates:
Tutoring (both at 826 and YMS) starts back up January 9.
In-school Residencies resume on January 9.
Our first Field Trip in the new year happens on January 13.
The Winter Workshop Schedule begins on January 16.
Also, take note! The Winter Workshop Schedule will be posted on Tuesday, January 10. Registration opens on Wednesday, January 11 at 7pm.
AAAAND, we wanted to share some amazing student work with you. First up, two of our favorite Bot Jots from last semester. Bot Jots happen daily at tutoring.
The first one comes from Bushra H., who started coming to tutoring way back at our OLD location, when she was just a wee little thing. The Bot Jot prompt centered around creating a list of questions you've always wondered about.
Why do we go to school and not animals?
Why do we humans have all the brains?
Why can't animals speak our language?
Why does aching and stress have to be part of growing up?
How can animals speak our language some day?
Is there anything that I can choose for something epic to happen?
Why do good things have to end but the bad stuff doesn't?
Why is no one perfect?
Why do so many people say we'll never know?
How many clouds are in the sky?
A compelling list, to be sure. Questions we ourselves have wondered about, as well as questions we'll now START wondering about.
And now, Melanie K. During Bot Jots, she made a charming list she's titled "Names for a..."
Spotted dog: Wickley, Spock
Giraffe: Prikaley, Talle
Spy: Sprickaley, Tackal
Karate master: Lofey
Space robot: 678810, Shemol
Hopefully you'll be out and about in downtown Ann Arbor for Midnight Madness this Friday, December 2. As ever, businesses will be staying open late and offering special deals on merchandise. WHILE you are downtown, will you, oh won't you stop by your favorite robot shop? The Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair will offer up BotChoir for the third time this year.
Just what IS BotChoir, and could it possibly be as astounding, magical, and delightful as it sounds, you ask? For starters, YES, it is every bit as astounding, magical, and delightful as it sounds. How could it not be? It consists of a variety of adult humans (and sometimes dogs) dressed up in robot costumes, singing robot-ized versions of holiday carols.
For example, well-loved classics, such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Robot" and "Here Comes Santabot," featuring lyrics like "Oh robot, robot, robot / I made it out of tin / And when it's dry and ready / Then robot I shall spin!" There's no saying what we'll do this year, but in past years, we've done a binary version of "Carol of the Bells" (in the round, of course) as well as a terrifying rendition of "O Holy Night" wherein all the robots tonelessly scream "FALL ON YOUR KNEES" after a soloist does a lovely version of the verse.
Is it hilarious? We sure think so!
So please stop by, stock up on robot supplies, and catch a performance of BotChoir. They'll be performing at 7, 8, 9, and 10pm during Midnight Madness, this Friday, December 2. Hope to see you there!
It feels like it's been the holiday season since before Halloween this year, and there's been no avoiding those intense, annoying, and sometimes disturbing Black Friday commercials. (For the record, we don't think stores SHOULD BE OPEN on Thanksgiving evening. Or at midnight on Thanksgiving. Or at 4am, for that matter.) There are any number of Occupy movements happening these days to varying success. We don't feel it's our place to get too political here at 826michigan, but ONE movement we DO get behind is Occupy Black Friday.
Shop Local this holiday season! Why brave terrifying parking lots and angry mobs at the big-box retailers? You can, we are almost certain, get gifts for everyone on your list at the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair. And this year, you can do so NO MATTER WHERE IN THE COUNTRY YOU ARE LOCATED. That's right, this year, our very special holiday catalog is available online and features seventy of our most popular, most unique gifts. Check out our online store here. You can just click a few buttons, and we will send your gifts right to your very door for the very reasonable flat-rate shipping cost of $5!
I know what you're thinking. Oh REALLY, Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair? You have something for my grandparents? They fear robots and have no need for a Fifty-Year Calendar. Oh, dear reader, but we DO! Did you forget that we have a variety of interesting and unusual books? Many of which were written by young people? Trust me, grandparents LOVE our student publications, regardless of whether or not they know the published authors within.
You know what else grandparents (and parents and siblings and coworkers and so on) like? COFFEE. This year, we are thrilled to have teamed up with the local coffee gurus at Roos Roast to bring you Roos Robot Roast, a hearty and delicious blend of beans sure to awaken creativity in the most tired of humans. Pair it with a robot shop mug, and you've got a useful, yummy, uniquely local gift for just $16 ($9 for the coffee, $7 for the mug, tax included)!
We also have tools and gadgets for people who like tools and gadgets. Kitchen accoutrements (robot measuring cups, a variety of timers, robot corkscrews, ice cube trays, and more!) for the cooks in your life. And, of course, all manner of apparel (t-shirts, onesies, hoodies, totes, hats!), robot-making kits, tin collectible robots, and more!
And, as ever, the BEST part of shopping locally at the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair is that ALL PROCEEDS from the robot shop benefit the free student programs offered at 826michigan. It is, quite literally, the gift that keeps on giving. So not only will your friends and family be awed and delighted by your one-of-a-kind, incredibly clever gifts, they will be SUPER impressed that you are so community-conscious.
You've gotta buy some holiday gifts, no matter how you slice it. So why not think about where the money you spend is going? You worked hard for that money! We'll put it to GOOD USE.
As you (hopefully) heard, this past Thursday saw our second-annual festival of student-written, actor-acted one-act plays, Five Bowls of Oatmeal: THE RETURN OF OATMEAL. It was, not to put too fine a point on it, AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS! We learned about zombies with a heart, traveled through the Upper Peninsula in search of oatmeal, and saw Chuck Norris sing Katy Perry's "Firework" on American Idol. (Oh yeah, that last thing TOTALLY happened.) We heard Dave Eggers wax rhapsodic about the importance of writing and shook hands with some incredible playwrights both small (7 years old) and not-small (18).
Suffice to say, by Friday I, for one, was pretty worn out. When I came into the office that morning, I expected nothing but a quiet day of catching up on e-mails and washing out all those oatmeal bowls. So I was surprised and dismayed to find on my desk a snot-green envelope with a single, elegant toenail clipping placed upon it -- what I knew could only be a note from our nefarious and highly bizarre publisher, Dr. Blotch.
(For the uninitiated: Dr. Blotch is responsible for many of our gorgeous student publications and we are so grateful THANK YOU DR BLOTCH IF YOU ARE READING THIS but he's also weird and creepy. He has underground lairs in Pennsylvania and Estonia, is approximately 345 years old, and loves to eat boogers and cats. Insofar as he can ever love anything, which is not much. He also hates children above all and is convinced they all smell of diapers. Although none of us here at 826michigan have ever seen Dr. Blotch, we know to keep a secluded spot reserved for him at all our events or risk his wrath. He particularly loves (to hate) Mittenfest, so keep an eye out for him this year.
We're also beginning to suspect that he may be a fan of The Phantom of the Opera.)
The note read:
AMY. AMY. AMANDA. CATHERINE. AND ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS EVER WORKED, INTERNED, VOLUNTEERED, OR IN ANY WAY BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS "826MICHIGAN".
You are all FIRED.
For being LYING LIARS.
I happened to be in the area last night visiting my new booger farm in Ypsilanti (which is coming along very nicely, although none of you rude lying liars ever asked) and decided to stop in to this "Five Bowls of Oatmeal" event you were making such an unseemly fuss about. I was disappointed and, quite frankly, ENRAGED.
826michigan, how many times must I tell you? You CANNOT persist in spreading this LIE that these plays were written by CHILDREN.
For one thing, I did not smell one SINGLE diaper in the entirety of Rackham Auditorium. Even if there were no children at the production, everyone knows that the stench of diapers clings to ANYTHING written by the horrid creatures.
Secondly, the plays were ENTIRELY too good to have been written by children! The muscles at the corners of my mouth twitched upwards SEVERAL times with what I suppose a coarse, foul person might call "happiness" or "laughter"? Do you have any idea how much that hurts? I particularly enjoyed the play "Zombie on the Couch", about a zombie who wants to learn to live and love. Much like that zombie, I too am covered with oozing sores! Unfortunately, I found his desire for human connection to be utterly unrelatable and off-putting, but I could not deny that it was written particularly well. (AND THUS NOT BY A CHILD, TEENAGER, OR ANY KIND OF "YOUNG" "PERSON". QED.)
Thirdly, although it hurts me deeply to praise you disappointing lying liars, I must say you did an excellent job constructing the small, child-like cyborgs that answered interview questions between presentations of the plays. Although they were obviously entirely too articulate, charming, and interesting to be actual CHILDREN, I did find the farce somewhat amusing. In a limited way.
TO ALL LYING LIARS AT 826MICHIGAN, give up the ghost! In all future presentations of one-act plays, you may NOT continue this deception that horrid diaper-beasts have had anything to do with anything of such high quality! Pursuant to your IMMEDIATE termination, I expect signed letters of apology FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU in the vestibule of my Estonian lair TOMORROW.
Please also send your small companion mammals, for I am hungry.
Not yours,
Dr. Thaddeus Blotch, Esq.
Understandably, we all feel compelled to respond publicly to Dr. Blotch's assertion that the plays at Five Bowls of Oatmeal were not, in fact, written by actual students aged 7-18. Sorry to continually disappoint you, Dr. Blotch, but these plays -- in all their hilarious, insightful, poignant and zany glory -- were ONE HUNDRED PERCENT student creations. And they were great.
(Public, don't worry about us all being fired. It happens on a regular basis. I think Amy Sumerton in particular has been fired by Dr. Blotch exactly 1,476.2 times. Correct me if I'm wrong, Amy.)
Thank you to The Penny Seats Theater Company for acting out our students' words! To our sponsors University of Michigan MFA Program in Creative Writing, Sava's, Kroger, and Ann Arbor State Bank! To the inimitable Dave Eggers and Joe Horton! To photographer Nick Azzaro ! To volunteers Carolyn Racine, Chantay Woods, David Tumbarello, Elizabeth Mikesch, Quinn Strassel, and Becky Welzenbach! To playwrights Matthew, Susan, Emma, Hanel, Derek, Adomino, Walter, Celia, Alex, Ben P, Ben J, Brian, and Ishaan! And to everybody who turned out to help us celebrate them!
Join us for two uniquely entertaining and educational events, won't you?
1. Five Bowls of Oatmeal: The Return of Oatmeal
If there is one thing not to LOVE about this event, we can't imagine what it might be. In fact, we found the whole fiasco so delightful last year that we started planning this year's oatmealy mess before we'd even left the theater.
The concept is simple: 826michigan's brilliant and wacky students write one-act plays. The only rule: Oatmeal must be included in some way, shape, or form. Professional adult actors perform the plays in front of a live audience, possibly with you in it.
Added bonuses, in case you needed them!:
Dave Eggers will be on hand this year, interviewing our young playwrights!
The props are hilarious and homemade!
One of the plays is called "Zombie on the Couch!"
You never know what's going to happen!
Tickets are a STEAL at $7 for adults and $3 for kids!
So come! What else have you got going on?
Five Bowls of Oatmeal
Thursday, November 17, 7pm
Rackham Auditorium
915 East Washington Street
Tickets available at the door!
Hope to see you there for a magical night you'll (probably) never forget!
2. American Teacher Premiere!
Then, next month, join us for what is shaping up to be a moving and educational evening. We are thrilled to host a preview screening of a brand-new documentary whose subject matter is very close to our hearts.
American Teacher -- a feature-length documentary produced and directed by Academy-Award-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth; produced by Nínive Calegari and best-selling author (and our founder!) Dave Eggers; and narrated by Matt Damon -- tells the stories of four teachers who live and work in disparate urban and rural areas of the country. By following these teachers as they reach different milestones in their careers, the film tells the deeper story of the teaching profession in America today. The film shows us the experience of these four young teachers as they recognize the importance of what they do, and how much they love what they do, but ask: Can I afford to continue to teach?
Compelling, moving, and incredibly timely, we hope you will join us for this very special screening, complete with very special guests, including one of the teachers featured in the film, as well as many of the teachers in our community whose classrooms 826michigan volunteers are working in every week.
American Teacher
Wednesday, December 14, 7pm
Michigan Theater
603 East Liberty Street
Tickets, only $6, available at the door or by clicking here.
It's no secret that In-school Residencies are one of my VERY MOST favorite things that we do (I know, I know, I have a LOT of those). But this program is really special! If you'll allow me to step foot on my soapbox for just a moment, ahem: It's very easy to lament the public education system in this country -- and particularly this state -- right now. As I said, it's easy to do -- and, in fact, I believe that we SHOULD BE doing that, lamenting it. We should be talking at length about it.
But do you know what's EVEN BETTER than lament and/or talking at length? TAKING ACTION. Lament away. Talk until you're blue in the face. But always, always be aware that talking is different than doing, and that doing makes change, helps, fixes. You feel me?
Our In-school Residency program gives caring adults all over our community the chance to TAKE ACTION. To not just lament ridiculously high teacher-to-student ratios, but to actually place yourself in that very ratio, thereby lowering it. So today, friends, I thought I'd walk you through a week in our residency program. Perhaps you have time in your schedule to help out!
Monday.
Monday morning, bright and early, finds us at Erickson Elementary School in Ypsilanti. Erickson was one of the pilot schools for our residency program, and this is our FOURTH YEAR there. I really cannot say enough good things about this school. The teachers are some of the very finest I have ever met -- wholly committed to their students, completely innovative, and incredibly welcoming of our volunteers. In fact, Erickson has been SUCH a stellar volunteer opportunity, we are there three days a week. When something works this well, why not? Our residents help out in four classrooms: Ms. Graessley's second graders (I am seriously considering moving to Ypsilanti just so my kids, when I have them, can be in Ms. Graessley's class.) for forty-five minutes, Ms. Reed's third graders for thirty minutes, Ms. Winters' fourth graders for thirty minutes, and Ms. Todd's second graders for forty-five minutes.
Monday afternoons, we head over to Ms. Hatt's fourth grade classroom at Mitchell Elementary in Ann Arbor. This is our second year with Ms. Hatt, and it is truly a joy to be in her classroom. She loves teaching, and it shows. She also knows just what to do with our volunteers to make them feel helpful and utilized.
Tuesday.
Tuesday mornings, we start out in two first-grade classrooms at Perry Elementary in Ypsilanti. Ms. Howe and Ms. Courtney are two teachers who were ALSO involved in the piloting of this program. We started working with them four years ago at Chapelle Elementary, a school that has, sadly, since closed. We were thrilled to stay with these two amazing teachers, though, and love seeing them every Tuesday morning.
From there, we head over to Adams Elementary in Ypsilanti, where we are working with the lovely and delightful Ms. Hannah. We began our work with Ms. Hannah three years ago when she was at West Middle School in Ypsilanti (now Ypsilanti Middle School, where we are in the midst of our third year of after-school tutoring). Adams was another of our pilot schools three years ago, and we could not be more pleased to be working with Ms. Hannah for our third year in our fourth year at this school.
Wednesday.
Wednesday mornings, we visit our friends at Erickson Elementary again, just like Mondays. After that, we head over to Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor to work with two of the most wonderful PEOPLE (let alone teachers!) we have ever met: Sal Barrientes and Ellen Daniel. Middle school is a difficult age in human development, and just knowing that there are people like Mr. Barrientes and Ms. Daniel to help guide young people through this age is an incredible relief. Seeing these two teachers in action is truly an uplifting experience.
Thursday.
Thursday finds us in our first year at Ypsilanti High School for just about the entire school day. As many of you probably know, YHS has undergone an incredible number of changes this year, from splitting into two different academies to a new principal to a new scheduling system and beyond. It has been challenging and wildly rewarding to help out and do what we can to assist the school in this time of transition. Making our experience even better is the guidance of the teachers we're working with: Ms. Payeur, Ms. Vincent, and Ms. Fassbender.
Friday.
We wrap up our week at Erickson Elementary School. Balance is nice. So is finishing a long work week with the awe-inspiring staff at Erickson.
What it all adds up to: Six schools, thirteen teachers, almost four hundred students, and over twenty-five hours a week.
What do residents do?
Work one-on-one with students who are behind, or who just want a little extra help. Administer assessments. Grade papers. Facilitate small group work. Become beloved celebrities in the classroom. Change lives. You know, just a typical weekday for an 826 volunteer.
Do you have time in your schedule next year to help out in an area school? If so, shoot me an email and we'll get you trained and set up. I can promise you, wholeheartedly, that you will find the experience incredibly rewarding.
We're excited to announce the first installment in a new series here on the 826michigan blog: Supporter of the Month. Each month, we'll be highlighting an individual, foundation, or company who has gone above and beyond for us, and who we can never thank enough.
(We thought about committing to write this feature as one long acrostic of the phrase THANK YOU, but chickened out. Maybe in 2012.)
When we sat down to think about who to highlight first, we didn't have to sit very long. Thomson-Shore, a book manufacturer based out of Dexter, has been supportive of us in so many meaningful ways that it's hard to enumerate them all.
They've sponsored our How To Write Like I Do series of fundraisers, allowing us to work with acclaimed writers like Daniel Alarcon and Rachel DeWoskin to offer writing workshops for the many, many literate adults who tell us, "I wish something like 826 had been around when I was a kid!".
They fielded not one but TWO teams at last year's Spelling Bee for Honest Cheaters, Mustachioed Heroes, and Dirty Rotten Spellers, raising money for 826michigan and testing their orthography skills against words like "swarf" and "pamprodactylous" -- words so obscure that even spell check doesn't acknowledge them!
And, perhaps most importantly, they've printed our last two publications, 20/20: Visions of the [Near] Future and Don't Stay Up So Late. And they printed them beautifully. Our volunteers and staff all work hard on each publication, and it can be hard to see a book baby go off to the printers. We've learned that we can trust Thomson-Shore to print these books to a professional, high-quality standard every time. This means more to us than we can really say, because each 826michigan publication represents not only OUR hard work but the hard work of our incredible students. Revealing a new publication to its young authors is always one of the high points of our year. Thank you so much, Thomson-Shore, for helping us make that happen, and for everything else you do.
It is a happy Halloween indeed here at 826michigan. The annual Treat Parade has brought a rotating cast of slightly-smaller-than-pint-sized cows, monkeys, witches, princesses, a stop sign, and more through our robot shop. Programs Coordinator Catherine Calabro is dressed as Luke Skywalker (and sporting a wig that looks exactly like Princess Diana's hair in the eighties). Communications Coordinator and Jeopardy! Champion Amy Wilson is dressed as Super Kale, a costume as creative and clever as she is. I have, at the suggestion of a new volunteer, outfitted myself as the perfect costume for a very pregnant lady: The Golden Snitch. This has allowed me to 1) basically wear my pajamas to work, and 2) wear my running shoes (the only shoes I have that FIT) and have them actually make sense with the outfit.
Now that I've painted a tableau for y'all, let's get to the matter at hand. We thought it might be quite lovely if we, on this quite brisk and really feeling-of-fall day, shared some student work with you. And, in the spirit of the season, we thought it might be best to share some of the spookiest stories that have lately been written in Drop-in Writing. (Note: No Drop-in Writing tonight! Go Trick or Treating! Make yourself sick on candy; you can write tomorrow!)
So, tuck in, grab some peanut butter cups, and prepared to be SCARED STIFF by our collection of Spooky and Bizarre Stories from Our Most Terrifying Program: The Deadliest Drop-in Writing!
Knitting Yarn by Hyewon
An old, spooky old woman, Mrs. Calloway, pulled me up with my enemy: Knitting Needle. I am a yarn. Don’t think yarns can’t think. I just can’t say, except for that I’m better than the humans who control me! I can roll myself and go anywhere if there isn’t an old lady watching me all day long. I can hold my breath forever (well, I think).
I’m new to my home, so Mrs. Calloway hadn’t used me yet, which means I didn’t have to hold my breath. Finally, she decided to use me. I watched her all day, of course, and she’s AWFUL at knitting, so I don’t have to worry that much. Someone picked me up. I suddenly realized that it wasn’t Mrs. Calloway’s hand! She always hugs me and kisses me and does disgusting stuff to me, but this hand’s nails were polished and they held me safely.
Uh oh.
I started practicing. Practicing holding my breath. If I can’t hold my breath I’m going to die. Of course yarns die too, just like humans.
She started.
I don’t know how many time had passed, but my body and my head started to shake. I couldn’t hold my breath anymore. My blood would have been spilled all over if I had it. My tail turned black and my eyes turned white.
A Poem by Sangmin Lee
"What the heck, my house ate my BED!" I said.
"What the heck, my school ate my house!" I said.
"What the heck, Michigan ate my school!" I said.
"What the heck, Chicago ate Michigan!" I said.
"What the heck, Yellow Stone ate Chicago!" I said.
"What the heck, the whole state ate Yellow Stone!" I said.
"What the heck, the whole Earth ate the whole state!" I said.
"What the heck, the moon ate the whole Earth!" I said.
"What the heck! Space ate the WHOLE WORLD!"
CHOMP!!!!!!!!! by Angela
"Oh no! The hand! The hand! Red Alert, Red Alert!" the healthy raison oatmeal cookie screamed. Me and my brother - I, a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie, he, an M&M cookie - started running. We were up on the top floor if the cookie jar. We were drinking the white sweet cream of the milk that ran through the crack in the jar. Unfortunately, I left my chocolate shoes at the river. My brother still had his red and blue M&M sneakers on. I tripped over a rock and the chocolate around my eyes smeared. Before I could get up, the hand was wrapped around me. I felt the squishiness all around me. Rubbing the chocolate away, I looked down.
I screamed.
When I was little I hated heights. Now, what if the hand dropped me? Then I looked up, worst mistake in my life! The light nearly blinded me! After that I smelled the putrid breath. It reeked of rotten milk, not the type back in the jar. At least one good thing would happen: I had always wondered what it would be like to die. Would it be really painful? Then I hope he’ll bite my head off first!
I saw white shiny squares. They were closing around me.
Bye, world.
CHOMP!!!!!!!!!!
So Spooky
by Brian
It was a dark and stormy night, and the monster was right outside the house. Lightning shook the house and the lights went out. There was a tornado coming towards the house and the monster already broke the window. I ran over to my neighbor’s house but there was no one there. Suddenly I got zapped by lightning. My hair was standing up.
I kept getting zapped by lightning.
Then I fainted.
I woke up in a hospital with a cast around my leg and arm.
When I got home it was raining again. I asked my mom if we should go into the basement but she said we didn’t have a basement. But the car door was broken off so I had to sit with the door open. Then all of a sudden I fell out of the car. Then the monster came back and it was bigger than the big tree. It reached down, and it ate me.
Would that I could bottle events like Five Bowls of Oatmeal, so that I could open them up from time to time and spread a little of the magic around. Five Bowls of Oatmeal, as those of you who went last year know, IS a truly magical event. The basic formula should be enough:
Students write plays.
Professional adult actors rehearse said plays.
Plays are performed in front of live audience which includes student playwrights and their friends and families.
Laughter fills the air; people are visibly moved; students feel a great deal of pride and excitement surrounding their work as writers; somewhere in the universe, a variety of creatures great and small explode into glitter.
This year, we're making a special night EVEN MORE special. Four good turns deserve four more. So if you were wavering about attending, or if you need a little bit more to push you over the edge, allow me to outline four ADDITIONAL reasons you should come:
Because it was such a magical evening last year, we've invited our good friend and very special guest Dave Eggers to come be a part of it. (And we are working on some other surprises in the "special guest" category.)
One play is about a town battling the evil villain Darth Oatmeal, who constantly dumps sticky, gooey, non-delicious poisonous oatmeal on the town. (All plays must feature at least one bowl of oatmeal.)
The event is hosted by the one and only Joe Horton, who, among many other noble and respectable qualities, wrote a play that was recently nominated for the Offies, London's Off West End Theatre Awards.
We've priced this event to sell the house out. Five one-act plays for well under ten dollars? Unheard of. UNTIL NOW.
Just like last year, it promises to be a wholly unique and inspiring night. So come! Bring your friends! Ready for a little math? The pride and excitement the students feel about their work during Five Bowls of Oatmeal is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to the number of people cheering for them in the audience. Let's fill the house! Let's sell it out!
Five Bowls of Oatmeal: The Return of Oatmeal
Rackham Auditorium, 915 East Washington Street in Ann Arbor
Thursday, November 17, 7pm
$3 for humans aged 6-18, $7 for adults
Get your tickets here.
And! If all the inspiring stuff for young people going on at 826michigan is making you wish YOU could participate in our programs, why not attend the next How to Write Like I Do, our series of writing workshops for adults? Next month, Rachel DeWoskin will lead a workshop on memoir writing. Click here for details and tickets!
We're happy to say that our lab is much improved today and that we WILL be holding our programs. After-school tutoring starts at 3:30pm, and we'll be holding Drop-In Writing as usual at 6pm.
Subscribe to our email mailing list to stay informed about the latest happenings at 826michigan!
826michigan is proud to provide 100% absolutely free one-on-one drop-in tutoring for students ages 8-18, really. Free. No kidding.
Tutoring is available during the school year Monday through Thursday, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. All students are welcome whether they are working on homework, their first novel, their first song, or their first screenplay. Or whatever. And it’s free.
We are always in need of tutors. Please drop by and see us or click here to sign up. Any amount of time you can spend – one hour a month or three hours a day – will make you feel better and truly make a difference for our students.
Digital camera.
Ink cartridges.
Laminator.
Microphone and Speaker.
Rolling white board.
Bulletin boards.
Large butcher paper pads.
Frequent Flyer miles.
Reams of white paper.
Gift certificates to Staples.
Gift certificates to Meijer or Sam's Club.
Gift certificates to Ikea.
Stamps.
Staplers.
