Students mark National Day on Writing outside the classroom

NORTH PROVIDENCE - If you drove past North Providence High School Tuesday, Oct. 20, and observed a group of students sitting in sunshine on the front steps of the building, they were writing, not taking a break from studies.

The school participated in National Day on Writing.

"North Providence High School is honoring the National Day on Writing by participating in a day-long writing marathon," said Jill Usenia of the school's English department and organizer of the local event. "Students and teachers will be getting out of the classroom and traveling to different locations in and outside of the building to write together."

Students were found in areas of the school where they normally would not congregate for a writing assignment: the front steps, The Pit, the art exhibition venue.

"The day was dedicated to the significance of writing in our national life and to draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing Americans engage in, and to help writers from all walks of life recognize how important writing is to their lives," said Usenia.

The students, Usenia said, were directed to:

* Celebrate the foundational place of writing in Americans' personal, professional, and civic lives.

* Point to the importance of writing instruction and practice at every grade level, for every student and in every subject area from preschool through university.

* Emphasize the lifelong process of learning to write and composing for different audiences, purposes, and occasions.

* Recognize the scope and range of writing done by the American people and others.

* Honor the use of the full range of media for composing.

* Encourage Americans to write and enjoy and learn from the writing of others.

The National Day on Writing was meant to recognize the fact that people in every walk of life, in every kind of work, and at every age write more than ever before for personal, professional, and civic purposes. They write through text messages and IMs, they use video cameras and cell phones, and, yes, even traditional pen and paper, Usenia said.

"North Providence High School has always placed a strong emphasis on the importance of writing," Usenia said. "In fact, North Providence High School has had a long-time partnership with the Rhode Island Writing Project, and approximately one-third of its faculty is involved with the Rhode Island Writing Project. This partnership, along with the vastly changing 21st century, is changing the way we engage in reading and writing," Usenia said.

Students who wished could submit their writing to the National Gallery of Writing to be recognized for their talents. This was the first time North Providence High participated in a large-scale writing marathon and the school plans on making this an annual event, Usenia said.