Last week, Westchester Torah Academy’s second grade students stepped into the spotlight as newly-published authors at the school’s annual Publishing Party. The event celebrated the culmination of a year-long journey into the world of literature, storytelling and creativity, featuring book readings by the school’s newest authors.
Throughout the year, Morah Kim, the second grade General Studies teacher, took the students on an exploration of a variety of literary genres, diving deep into the craft of writing. They learned how books are structured—studying title pages, information pages, endpapers, dedications and more—while analyzing dozens of stories to understand elements like character development, setting, conflict and resolution.
After immersing themselves in the building blocks of storytelling, each student took on the challenge of becoming an author. They used graphic organizers to brainstorm original ideas, create compelling characters, develop plotlines with problems and solutions and then wrote full narratives. Like professional writers, they edited, revised and polished their work until they were ready to publish. Finally, they bound their final products, with several parents and grandparents joining to help to create beautiful, professional books.
In preparation for the Publishing Party, the students also learned some real-world hosting skills—baking an assortment of muffins to serve to their guests at the event. As families arrived, the second graders welcomed them with pride, guided them to their seats and took on the role of waiters and waitresses, taking breakfast orders and personally delivering muffins and refreshments to their visitors.
The Publishing Party was a beautiful culmination of the students’ hard work. Each child presented a fully illustrated, bound book—an original piece of literature that showcased their imagination and the skills they honed throughout the year. The books featured alien invasions, princess parties, erupting volcanoes, evil queens and more. The special guests were so impressed by the hospitality they were shown—and by the students’ baking skills!
This heartwarming event not only honored the students’ accomplishments but also reflected WTA’s broader commitment to nurturing creativity, confidence and community from an early age. Thank you to Morah Kim for taking the students on this journey and for developing this meaningful event. Mazal tov to the second grade authors and hosts.
