Reagan Elementary to host visiting author

Capping off a year of writing their own books, Reagan Elementary School students will get a visit from author Allan Woodrow.

Woodrow, the author of more than 30 books for children, will be at Reagan from 8:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. May 6 talking to second through fifth-grade students.

Fifth grade English Language Arts and Reading teacher Amy Barnes arranges the author visits.

Crockett Middle School art teacher Priscilla Hernandez painted hallway doors at Reagan in preparation for the visit.

Having written books themselves, students then get a chance to hear from a published writer to tell them about the writing process and things that they struggled with before becoming an author.

Barnes said they walk the students through their own writing process, give them ideas, brain storm with them and help them edit their stories.

Jeramey Kraatz, a former Reagan student, visited the campus in February.

Woodrow has not been to Reagan before.

“This is my 15th year to have authors come, so usually I just sit down and I get on the computer and I just start searching popular books, or books that I think the kids would like. This year I sat down and I did a Scholastic Book Clubs search,” Barnes said. “His name came up and I watched his videos on his website and some YouTube videos and I thought, well, he’s going to be entertaining and have a lot to offer our campus,” Barnes said.

Hernandez’ children went to Reagan and Barnes said she learned Hernandez was a talented painter so she reaches out to her every year as soon as the author is booked to paint the doors.

Hernandez said she enjoys how the students look at every detail on the paintings.

“It’s pretty crazy because they look at all the detail. You don’t think that they do, but they do,” she added.

Woodrow will be talking to second through fifth grade students, so she anticipates that will be 450 to 500 kids.

“From my educator’s perspective, they get to connect with somebody that they’ve read their book, so they get to see that it’s possible and then the fact that they’re writing their own books that someday their books can be published. They get to see what the writing process looks like from beginning to end themselves and hear what the author has to say about his trials and tribulations of writing a book, so they get to have it from all sides, and hopefully they connect with one of the authors that’s coming,” Barnes said.

Hopefully, this will inspire them to become better readers and writers, she added.

Barnes has been at Reagan for 16 years and the students were writing books before that. When she came to Reagan, the principal asked if she could find an author to visit.

“It took me a year to get it under my belt and figure out how to get one here. Then the my second year here, we started having them and sometimes we have two; sometimes we have three just depending on what money’s in the budget … We don’t go through the office budget. Our PTA helps us raise money through our Reagan Fest and we generate funds that way so that we can just pay an author directly,” Barnes said.

She talks or messages with the authors directly.

“We’re very fortunate that our spring fundraiser … called Regan fest, and it’s a silent auction and donations come in that way. Our PTA is on board with helping us keep this tradition going. … They help purchase our books that the kids write and use, and then they help me get an author here,” Barnes said.

The school has a Young Author’s Day May 21.

“Their parents come and sign it and their friends and teachers, so that they have like a little memory (book),” she added.

It takes about a year to organize an author visit.

“Usually I start looking around this time of year for the next year,” Barnes said.

Once she finds them, she starts booking airlines, figuring out how to bring the authors here, how much it’s going to cost and figuring out a schedule to name a few items.

A few of the students get to have lunch with the visiting author.

“It’s a tradition … then on the day he comes during lunchtime these five kids will pick a friend, so 10 kids will get to go and eat lunch with him and talk to him and ask him questions. That’s another way we raise funds to help pay for (an author) coming every year. We have 10 kids (who) get to eat with the author, they get an autographed book and they get to spend an hour just them talking with him in a small setting and they enjoy that,” Barnes said.

There have been other schools that have partnered with Reagan to have author visits, but Barnes didn’t think anybody had a longstanding tradition like her campus.

“I think that’s what makes us unique,” she added.

Barnes said she is looking forward to the event.

“It’s my passion. If I wasn’t a teacher, I would want to be somebody who schedules authors to go into elementary campuses, and even middle school. I think it’s important for the kids to get to have that bonding and connection with somebody who’s actually published a book that they know (that’s) sitting on their teacher’s shelves or in their libraries,” she added.

Barnes said she wanted to give a shout out to the Reagan PTA.

“They are amazing at helping us get this going and continue the tradition every year. I couldn’t do it without Janice Wilson in the library because she turns her classroom upside down so that I can keep it teaching in my classroom and host an author all day long. I couldn’t do it without her, and then of course the administration for allowing us to continue this tradition and keep it going for our campus,” Barnes said.