SPRING 2023 SESSION SCHEDULE:
Session 3-- (Jan. 23rd-Mar. 24th)
Session 4-- (Mar. 27th-May 19th) We will take April 7th off for Good Friday.

COURSE OVERVIEW: 
In this class, we will complete a 5 chapter book project from genesis to illustration. 

Week 1: Create a chapter-by-chapter outline and character background information.
Week 2: Write chapters 1 and 2 rough drafts 
Week 3: Write chapters 2 and 3 rough drafts
Week 4: Write chapters 4 and 5 rough drafts
Week 5: Edit and revise rough drafts to final copies
Week 6: Continued revising, edit, and illustrating
Week 7: Individual Book Reviews
Week 8: Book Presentations

BOOK LENGTH: 
Rough drafts will by limited to 6, double-spaced, hand-written, wide-ruled pages long, per chapter.

Final copies will be limited to 3 single-spaced, hand-written, wide-ruled pages long, per chapter. 

Writers may write less than the maximum, but they may not write more. It is vital to young writer's motivation to keep the length of the project both attainable and of a high quality.

CONTENT:
Book content needs to be G rated. It must be suitable to be read to the learners of this age group. Writers will be redirected from writing from topics that include, but are not limited to violence, substance abuse, and sexuality or sexual innuendo. 

ORIGINALITY:
ALL student work MUST be completed, by the student, during class time. Revisions or edits done outside of class time will NOT be accepted. Content that too closely resembles existing fictional works will also be redirected. 

SUBMISSION TIMES:
Writers are expected to send Miss Marler their completed, rough drafts by Friday weeks 2-4. 

They are also expected to send her their revisions, illustrations, and final copies in weeks 5 and 6. 

BOOK REVIEWS:
Class will not meet as a whole during week 7. Each writer will be assigned one day to meet in a live, one-on-one class with Miss Marler. The purpose of these one-on-ones is to review, revise, and edit their entire book in its final format. 

BOOK PRESENTATIONS:
Writers will reconvene as a class on week 8 to present their completed book to the class and celebrate their achievements together. This is a VERY important week for writers. It is the culmination of their efforts and hard work. I ask that each writer shows an effort to be present, even if it is not your day to present, to support your classmates. Please show support for others and their children as you would like done for your own. If a writer is unable to attend on their assigned day, I make every effort to accommodate a schedule change. If it is not possible to do so, writers may pre-record a reading of their completed work and post it in the classroom for others to comment. 

BOOK PURCHASE:
Parents will have the option to purchase their writer's books from either Mixbook or Amazon. Parents must select either Mixbook or Amazon for book publishing at the beginning of the session. Please message me before the first class to let me know which your prefer.  

ABOUT MIXBOOK: Mixbook books are privately published. The link to order your product may be shared with whomever you chose or with no one. Mixbook is the #1 rated photo book publisher on the internet. Their products are beautifully crafted to be enduring keepsakes, and they offer a variety of publishing options such as soft cover or hard cover and glass or matte paper finishes.

ABOUT AMAZON KDP: Amazon KDP books are publicly published. Parent's must set up an Amazon KDP account for their child and provide Miss Marler with access to the account for the duration of the class for book formatting. Parents may order a proof copy of their writer's book. Proof copies are relatively inexpensive, and parents have a wide range of publishing quality options to choose from. Once published, the book will be available for purchase, by the public on Amazon. However, parents MAY opt to simply purchase proof copies for themselves and friends, without publicly publishing. 

COURSE STRUCTURE:
I ask that students arrive on time and prepared to write. Monday through Friday of each week, students will receive a brief, 5-10 minute, mini-lesson.  Following the mini-lesson, students will begin that days writing task. They will have about 35 minutes of class time to write. This is a time and space for reflection. If students like, I will play soft, classical music during this time to help foster creativity. As students are ready, I will meet with them and conference about their writing. We will discuss what they have done so far and what areas they will focus on improving.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT & EXPECTATIONS: 
To ensure an orderly, peaceful, and productive learning environment, I implement a classroom management system that uses digital stars and stickers as rewards. Mondays through Fridays, students may earn stars for a variety of positive behaviors such as, but not limited to the following: 1) being kind to others, 2) not interrupting others, 4) having their materials ready, 5) working diligently during class time. Students may lose stars for a variety of negative behaviors including, but not limited to the following: 1) interrupting others, 2) being unkind to others, 3) not doing their work, 4) turning off their cameras without good reason.  Each 5 stars convert to 1 digital sticker. As I frequently remind students, stars and stickers are rewards for excellent work. They are NOT a reflection of how the teacher feels about your writer. She loves ALL of her students! 

SUBMITTING WORK: Parents are asked to take a quick picture of any completed rough drafts on EVERY FRIDAY during the 2-4th weeks and send them to Miss Marler. Writers may upload them through the student conversations page.

DEADLINES: 
Chapter 1 Rough Draft DUE FRIDAY, January 27th
Chapters 2 and 3 Rough Drafts DUE FRIDAY, February 3rd
Chapters 4 and 5 Rough Drafts DUE FRIDAY, February 10th
Final copies due, February 24th



COURSE PAYMENT & OUTSCHOOL REFUND POLICY
From Outschool:  Full refund until a week in advance, or within 24 hours of purchase (until class starts), then a 75% refund within the first week.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Incoming students should have basic, end of 2nd grade skills. They should be writing in complete sentences with basic, proper formatting on wide-ruled paper. Students should be willing to follow basic, classroom instructions.   

SPECIAL NEEDS:
If your writer has a diagnosed or suspected learning disability, IEP, or 504 in place, please share any pertinent information with me before class  begins. This will help me to prepare beforehand. Thank you.