Judy Smith, Kennewick, Washington
Mary Willey: Oroville Washington | Linda Hutchins: Ephrata, Washington
Janet L. Carlson: Olympia, Washington | Shelley Dziedzic: Lacey, Washington
Kaye Snyder: Shelton, Washington | Sandy McCollum: Skamania County School District
Merrie Kennedy, Lahontan Elementary School Counselor: Fallon, Nevada
Discover the exciting story of Noah Baker who attended a Young Authors Conference
and became so intrigued with Calamity Jan's ghost town mysteries
that he and his family began visiting each ghost town and absorbing the local history. |
- Collage of kids' messages to Calamity Jan
- From Merry Kennedy, Lahontan Elementary School Counselor, Fallon, Nevada
When I go into the classrooms to read or talk to the kids about self esteem and personal power I say, "Remember what Calamity Jan said about your hidden treasure!" And they remember. You made a huge impact on us all. March 2007.
- From Sandy McCollum, Skamania County School District
Hi Calamity, Our staff and students at Carson Elementary truly loved our day with you. One of our boys who helped you with your transparencies, stopped me in the hall and told me, "THAT WAS THE BEST DAY EVER!!!" Keep in mind, this boy is not easy to please. The kids are still buzzing about your books--they are in huge demand.
Two of our teachers are trying to see if they can work out a field trip to Shaniko, with a possible overnight. I'm not sure if it will work out, but that is something those kids would never forget. The teacher would like to see about getting 35 copies of the book, Shadow of Shaniko, for her students.
Once again, thank you for a great day!
From Judy Smith, Library Services Director, Desert Hills Middle School, Kennewick, WA
We really enjoyed meeting you. The day was a success all the way around for everyone. Kids have been asking for the books and teachers were impressed with
your talk with the kids. From Mary Willey, Reading Specialist with the Oroville, Washington Elementary Reading Programs. November 2003.
I just wanted to convey our thanks for the outstanding presentation you did for us here at Oroville. The students and teachers were enthralled by your talk and the teachers told me over and over how well you had done. It was great having you here to help us "Build Better Readers."
The students are quite excited about your books and we will be anxiously waiting for the next one to be published. Student orders are enclosed. We haven't been able to keep the copies we have on the library shelves long enough to know where they belong.
Thank you again for the day you spent with us: encouraging our students to read and giving them pointers on what authors do. It really helped our kids understand why writing is a process and not just something that you do once and are done with. We appreciate how you stirred up interest in both reading and writing. To Top of Page
Thank you for coming to our district, including Ephrata Middle School. Your presentation was inspirational and educational, as well as entertaining. Our students enjoyed your honest sharing and the stories of how you discovered the ideas for your "history mysteries."
Your theme of discovering the gold within you and mining it out with hard work captured all the students' attention. The writing nuggets you shared reinforced those we have studied this year, and brought those rich lessons back to the surfaces of our students' "mines."
"Calamity Jan," you connected with our EMS seventh graders. Your teaching background is obvious as is your love of both reading and writing. These were great gifts to share with our students. May you have many rich adventures to share with us in the future. To Top of Page
From Janet L. Carlson, Asst. Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Retired.
It is my privilege and pleasure to recommend Jan Pierson as a presenter to teach and encourage young students in the areas of reading, writing and communication skills.
Jan is a very gifted writer and experienced teacher. Not only has she authored five children's books, she has also been an instructor with the Institute of Children's Literature, a presenter at Young Author Conferences and during the past year has been doing educational programs with elementary and middle school students in schools throughout Thurston County.
I have known Jan for more than ten years and I am impressed with her enthusiasm, knowledge and ability to relate to people of all ages. She is a very caring and sensitive person and thus has an unusual skill in designing and presenting information which excites and motivates students. She has also prepared her presentations to address Essential Academic Learning Skills as designed by the Washington State Commission on Student Learning.
As former Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Washington State I recognize the advantages of utilizing people in the community to supplement and enhance our educational program. While it is a real advantage to have students meet and learn from people who are "doing it," it is not always easy to find people who are skilled in teaching and who relate well to children. Jan is one of those talented and special people who will bring joy and learning to students in a fun and exciting way. I cannot recommend her highly enough. To Top of Page - From Shelley Dziedzic, North Thurston School District: Horizons Elementary School, Lacey, Washington
On behalf of the students and staff of Horizons, I would like to thank you for being a part of our first Young Author celebration. Your sessions with our middle graders were motivating, interesting, and highly appropriate for that age level.
All of the teachers involved were very complimentary of your presentations. Your love of literature and writing as well as your respect for children were obvious. Thanks again for coming. It truly was a pleasure to meet and work with you. I look forward to the opportunity to do it again. To Top of Page
From Parent Kaye Snyder, Shelton Washington
Thank you for coming to Hibbert/Kirkwood's 4th/5th grade class at Bordeaux Elementary. I'm very grateful for the positive impact you had on the children during your visit.
My daughter, Brenda, hated writing. In fact, her view on writing was "use as few words as possible to communicate your thought. If a subject and verb are all it takes to make a complete sentence, then why bother writing more!"
Brenda likes to read a good book. In fact, after reading a school-assigned book, In The Land of the Big Red Apple, she was amazed at how the author made the story come alive. The book whet her appetite to higher quality reading. However, it wasn't until you came to Bordeaux and spoke in her class, that a correlation was made. She realized she too could more effectively communicate in her writing by adding those adjectives and adverbs she thought she despised.
Your presentation at Bordeaux impressed my daughter in such a way that she has added "author" to her list of career choices. I now find her writing during out "quiet" times at home. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
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