Gifted Program Beloit Schools

Margo Hosie

 Beloit Elementary students in first through sixth grades have the opportunity to participate in the challenging Written & Illustrated Project in which they write, illustrate, and publish their own books.  The 2009-2010 school year is the 18th consecutive year for the project, which culminates this year on Thursday, April 15, 2010, with the annual Authors' Party.  This year's guest is a very talented and successful illustrator whose identity will be revealed later in the school year.  It is tradition for the guest author or illustrator to select the theme.  For this year our guest illustrator has selected Home on the Range for his theme.

Lora Kay Reiter was Guest Author for the 2009 Authors' Party.  She not only spoke at the party, but also presented writing workshops for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes during the day.  Reiter is well known to many Beloit area residents, and she is Aunt Kay to third grade teacher Robin Pearson.  Reiter started school at Ash Creek Grade School, a country school in nearby Jewell County, and graduated from Beloit High School.  She went on to earn a doctorate at the University of Kansas.  

For the 2009 Written & Illustrated Project, Reiter chose the theme - Four legs, two legs, no legs, or fins - When we are friends, everyone wins - a theme that reflects her love for animals.  Her book ANIMALS GALORE AND LOVE UNCONDITIONAL is a collection of stories about dogs, cats, horses, birds, mice, and bugs that Reiter says have helped her recognize things about herself she wouldn't have know otherwise.  She shares the profits from the sale of this book with the Bea Martin Peck Animal Shelter in Ottawa, Kansas where she lives.

What about you?  Do you like to write?  Are you ready to challenge yourself in drawing?  Is there a family story running around in your head just waiting to be told? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you need to contact Mrs. Hosie and find out how you can participate in Written & Illustrated.  You will get to show your completed book along with the students at the party in April.

You might be interested to know that over 1800 books have been created since the inception of the project in 1992.  Be sure to navigate through this website and visit the links to previous parties where you can see what the project and the party are all about.

A special note of congratulations is extended to current BES fifth grader Taryn Post.  She placed 5th in the nation in her age category in the 2007 David Melton Memorial National Written & Illustrated by...Contest for the Students with her book TARYN'S TEA PARTY.  (The contest name is now THE NATIONAL KIDS-IN-PRINT BOOK CONTEST FOR STUDENTS).  Other Beloit Students have earned recognition through the years.  They include the following who placed in the Top-100 in their age category:  Jacob Sewell and Gina Goheen in 1993; Sewell and DuWayne Belles in 1994; Jena Hartman and Darcel Gronewoller in 1996; Kenneth Eilert in 1997; Kayla Cordel in 1998; and, Hartman, Rory Sibley, and Keeley Lindblad in 1999.  The contest was suspended for five years following the death of David Melton, creator of Writtten & Illustrated.  Landmark House, Ltd., of Kansas City, Kansas is sponsor of the national contest.