The Legend of Filodoxos

Sixth graders at ECDS experienced a unique opportunity in language arts education. Together, with their teachers Matthew Decking and Alison Coogan, they embarked on a fourteen-week creative writing journey with published author, Joel York. Following Common Core state standards for narrative writing, this innovative endeavor created and encouraged a “real life” experience in professional writing and publication.
The sixth grade classes met weekly with York via Google Hangout, where they were guided through the storytelling process from idea creation to publication. Weekly writing tasks immersed the students in a step-by-step investigation of character, setting and plot development, which culminated in the publication of their short stories.
Bound by the motto, “Imagine and it will be so,” this one-of-a-kind program inspired creative and critical thinking in writing, while also fostering an enduring sense of accomplishment.