The Writing Center
The mission of Bishop Ireton High is to prepare students for higher education and to develop the whole person to meet present and future challenges and opportunities. Therefore, the school promotes spiritual, intellectual, creative, scientific, technological, social and physical development enabling students to think critically. An integral part of the Bishop Ireton Community is the Writing Center, established to enable all levels of the community to develop the above skills via the process of thinking and writing.
The B.I. Writing Center was created to foster and facilitate student success in meeting the challenges of thinking and writing across the curriculum. Students may be referred by a classroom teacher, or they may choose to come to the Center on their own. A member of the English department is in the Center from 7:45 to 3:30 to assist students with their writing. Computers are available for word-processing, with priority given to students working with the Writing Center staff member. At times, a teacher may bring an entire class into the center for the staff member to help him/her explain a particular writing assignment. At all times, teachers provide the Writing Center with details of each writing assignment, so that staff members have the information necessary to help students with that assignment. The Writing Center staff member works with students to utilize the entire writing process and provide an audience for the students before their writing is graded. The BIWC is also open to administration/faculty/staff members who would like advice either on constructing effective writing assignments or on their own professional writing. The Center is meant to be an area of collaboration on improving thinking and writing skills at all levels of the school community.
What the Writing Center IS:
· A resource area for teachers who would like to talk about the writing that they assign
· A comfortable, non-threatening place for all students to discuss and work on writing assignments from any class
· A place for students and teachers to gain more confidence about their writing
· A place for careful listening and critical reading
· A room set aside for students/teachers to form a collaborative approach to writing
· An area where students and staff can find out about local and national writing competitions, courses, grants, etc.
· A place to foster a positive attitude toward writing for everyone in the BI school community
What the Writing Center IS NOT:
· A place for remediation only. Students who are already good writers are encouraged to come to the center as a resource to become even better. Writing Center staff will provide an audience for any writer before his/her paper is submitted for a grade.
· A last chance to have a paper proofread. A writing center’s concern is the process of writing, not editing.
· A place to be told what should be put into a paper
· A technology center