Summer Institute for All Write!!! 2012

Another year has come and gone.  Why do I always feel a sort of sadness when I leave the summer institute? I have learned so much.  I have seen so many old friends. I have even met lots of new friends.  It is the same way I felt as a kid leaving summer camp after a week. That's how I felt again this afternoon as I climbed into my yellow bug and drove the hour-drive back home.

Mindy  Hoffar

Mindy Hoffar did another fantastic job of putting it all together and seeing that it went smoothly. Everything from the almost 600 attendees arriving early Thursday morning for registration to the handing out of door prizes at the end of the sessions on Friday afternoon, went extremely well. Great job, Mindy!

Dr. Sandra Philipson

I was able to introduce three speakers this year.  The first on was Dr. Sandra Philipson and her dogs, Tak and Ollie.  She has written several books with the main characters being her dogs. These are the Max and Annie books. This author sent a treat home for Dave and even signed a book to him from Ollie and Tak! She is definitely one of Dave's favorite authors!

The second author I introduced was Ralph Fletcher.  He spoke Thursday night at our Dinner With an Author.  There were about 150 people there to hear him that night. Then the next morning I introduced him as he spoke on Mentor Texts.  He took much of his material from his book Mentor Author, Mentor Text. It was great to have Ralph with us this year!

Katie Wood Ray

I was so excited to be able to introduce our last speaker...the key note speaker to end our two-day institute. I have heard Katie speak many times and feel she is really my mentor. Over the years I have been able to be her driver, escort and handler at many of our events. Now as I am retired and looking for where my life is going next, Katie again is my mentor. I want to follow in her footsteps and go into classrooms to do research on the writing workshop.

So, proud of the All Write!!! group! Another success!!!