OWP Thanks Oregon's Legislators

Mary-Ann Smith Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs for the National Writing Project, encourages OWP alums  to participate in NWP's Reach Out and Write effort this summer.  An email to Oregon's  senator's/representative's educational aide or a brief note on their website is an effective way to say "Thank you for your support".

Laura Waarvick visits with Oregon's congressinal leaders during NWP's Spring Meeting in Washington D.C.

Up at 4 am to get to the airport by 5, check.

     In the summer of 2008, I took a master’s level writing course at the University of Oregon called the Oregon Writing Project. For five weeks, I read, talked, listened, and yes, wrote with a group of dedicated, creative, and talented educators. At the end of the summer, Peggy Marconi, the Associagte  Director, asked me to go to DC to meet with congressional aides from Oregon to ask for continued funding for the National Writing Project, the umbrella under which the OWP operates. I almost fell over I was so surprised and honored.

The two suits I own had been altered and pressed, then rolled carefully into my carry on.

     WhenI found out my leave from the school district had been approved, the students in my class and I talked about my trip. 26 eight and nine year olds cheered for me when I shared the news! We talked about the job of a congressional aide: long hours, low pay ( true story: one of the kids called out, “just like you, Miss W!” I just smiled sweetly and moved on), speech writing, making phone calls, even personal running errands for his boss if need be.
Ms. Marconi suggested I have the children in my classroom write letters to the aides, which I thought was fantastic. Writing for a real purpose is a great buy in for children, plus it would be tangible evidence for the aides to see the Project at work.

Below the suits were my new Enzo Anglioni red patent leather 3" power heels, lovingly stowed.

      It was important to me that the children know that their writing had a real audience, so I went to an antique shop in Corvallis, bought blank vintage Oregon postcards, bought stamps for them, then put the children’s first names on them and addressed them to our classroom at school. The last step was attaching them to the students’ letters.
The quality of the student’s writing was wonderful. My three favorite lines were: “Miss Waarvick is the best teacher I ever had, that is, she gives us gum,” and “Miss W is the best teacher ever. She didn’t pay me to say that.”

Capital city of the free world, here I come!

      I was about to meet 450 other dedicated professionals, many of whom took personal or unpaid days to meet with policy makers to give personal testimony to the power of teachers teaching teachers. The Oregon team was phenomenal. Sharp, professional, caring, and well spoken, the team represented three different sites. I was so impressed with the caliber of teachers represented from the best state in the Union.

The pace of the city was overwhelming at times. I could feel my heart pounding as though an elephant were on my chest! I couldn’t believe there were people alive who spoke faster and breathed less between words than I do.

      The aides themselves were very busy, and I was impressed by the amount of time they were willing to give us, especially those working for the two Oregon senators. I was so proud of my students as the aides were visibly surprised to be handed something addressed specifically to them, not their senator or representative. One aide stopped talking to us completely so he could read his letters.

This is the magic of the Oregon Writing Project. Children writing, children succeeding.