On the morning of Thursday November 15th, St. Monica School was privileged and very excited to host Canadian author Sigmund Brouwer. The author of numerous children and young adult books energized and enthralled students, teachers, staff and administration with his Rock & Roll Literacy tour!
All students, from Kindergarten through Grade 9, and even the teachers were on their feet singing and dancing to his upbeat music selections of current hits (Gangnam Style) and even some awesome tunes from days gone by. Students screamed, cheered and danced to what one student said was Sigmund's fantastic taste in music.
Our caretaker, Mr. Friedt, who has seen many presenters and presentations over the years, says you can always tell when the kids think a presentation is a hit: it's the volume of the cheers coming out of the gym and down the hallways! The volume on this particular morning declared the show a resounding success!!!
As exciting as the the music and dancing was, Brouwer managed to sneaking in some student learning. He talked to the students about incorporating emotions and feelings into their stories. Writers, he suggests, should try to push the audience's buttons. In order to do that you have to know who your audience is: who you are writing the story for and who you want to invoke the emotion in. Finally, he reminds writers to cover the classic five "W's" of writing into their creative masterpieces.
To learn more about Sigmund Brouwer and his Rock & Roll Literacy presentation check out his website: www.rockandroll-literacy.com.
