A delegation of elementary school students from Wales, United Kingdom visited the United States to engage in writing instruction with P.S. 60-The Woodhaven School, an elementary school in Queens, New York.
Accompanied by eight adults, the young Welsh delegation — representing St. Cadoc’s and St. Peter’s primary schools — are at the early stages of an academic journey that could be as life-changing as the expanded scope most people experience during overseas travel: learning how to express themselves coherently through writing.
“Writing can serve as a bridge between cultures where we learn what makes each of us unique, as well as discover how much more we have in common than what was previously assumed. I am heartened to experience the American and Welsh students learning so much from each other during the past week,” said Dr. Toni-Ann Vroom, Co-Executive Director of TWR.
The St. Cadoc’s and St. Peter’s teachers have been learning TWR writing strategies in preparation for the upcoming school year. The schools’ leadership teams wanted to visit an elementary school that has experienced success with The Writing Revolution’s Hochman Method.
After discussions with TWR, the Cardiff schools decided to visit P.S. 60, a TWR partner school.
Since 2017, P.S. 60 has been using the Hochman Method — a method of expository writing instruction that can be embedded in all grades and subject areas. The method was developed by Dr. Judith C. Hochman, former head of The Windward School in White Plains, NY, founder of the Writing Revolution and co-author of the book of the same name.
US News and GreatSchools.org have each identified P.S. 60’s statewide test scores and student progress as “Above Average”. In addition, P.S. 60 has earned an above-average educational equity rating from GreatSchools.org.
Elizabeth Orsini-Fox, principal of P.S. 60, captured the excitement her school’s students and staff felt during the visit: “I am proud of our partnership with TWR and how our teachers enjoyed sharing their command of the Hochman method with our new Welsh friends. I look forward to continued success implementing the Hochman Method and building a global relationship that will increase our students’ writing proficiency and love of [language].”
“It’s been a wonderful experience to be able to learn from the expertise of the teachers of P.S. 60, and The Writing Revolution team,” said Gareth Rein, headmaster of St. Peter’s. remarked about the St. Peter’s teaching staff who traveled with the students.
“This trip has been a chance of a lifetime for the whole group; to travel over 3,000 miles to learn incredible things about writing, about another culture. To have experiences like this for a group of such young children is something they will remember forever,” said Rein.
Rachel Fisher, headteacher of St. Cadoc’s, agrees: “[The trip has been] a lifetime opportunity for them … the students have been able to do things that you can only dream of doing at that age.”
“P.S. 60’s staff and students had the wonderful opportunity to meet and work collaboratively with the staff and students from St. Peter’s and St. Cadoc’s. Their students worked side-by-side with PS 60’s students, shared ideas, discussed cultural similarities and differences, and developed friendships that will last a lifetime,” noted Kathleen Degnan, assistant principal of P.S. 60.
Tata Njini, 11, a St. Peter’s student who loved writing from a young age, recalled the students in P.S. 60 as “very nice, [and] welcoming”.
Reuben Attard, 10, a Cadoc student, enjoyed learning how to “expand sentences, use appositives and the single-paragraph outline” from P.S. 60’s teachers.
“I feel very proud to come to P.S. 60,” says Katelyn L., a fifth grader from P.S. 60. “Kids came from Wales to visit us to see how we use The Writing Revolution … It’s been an awesome experience.”
