Students in Maggie's and Avery's fourth grade classes wrote memoirs and presented them on Thursday morning to parents and guardians. Stories ranged from tales about family, neighbors, and pets to holiday celebrations, first days at camp, and favorite extra-curricular activities.

Each student read a portion of their memoir aloud, then teachers, classmates, and family members shared what they liked and related to in the memoir.

The fourth graders launched their memoir unit by reading mentor texts by favorite authors such as Jerry Spinelli and Cynthia Rylant. They learned where writers get ideas for memoirs, and mined their own lives for writing topics--important firsts, family traditions, times they felt strong emotions, memorable achievements, and more.

Said 4th grade teacher Avery Finch, "the students' finished pieces reflect what they learned about memoir structure, including sensory details and having a 'bigger message.' We are very proud of their hard work, and were so happy to recognize their efforts at our Authors Celebration!"