McGill 3rd Graders Become Published Authors

SAN ANGELO – Fifty third-grade students at McGill Elementary are now published authors thanks to the efforts of Lynzey Norman, a third-grade teacher at McGill Elementary. For the second year, Mrs. Norman guided all McGill third-graders as they wrote, illustrated and published a book of poems.

Their collection of poetry, “I’m Still Learning…but watch me grow,” contains 400 poems all written by the students and is available for purchase on Amazon. The poems cover a wide range of topics including colors, animals, family, feelings, food, teachers, video games and more. All profits from the book sales go to the third-grade students at McGill Elementary. 

“What these amazing 3rd grade students at McGill have accomplished with the love and support of their teacher, Mrs. Norman, is nothing short of tremendous!” said Dr. Raelye Self, SAISD Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. “They have worked diligently to accomplish their publishing goal by learning about the various types and aspects of poetry in their classrooms, engaging in writing and discussion circles, and then utilizing their creativity and smarts to publish their poetry.”

Along with having their poetry published, the students also had the opportunity to read their poems aloud on stage during a Poetry Slam at The Bearded Barista on Thursday, March 23. As Mrs. Norman introduced the students, her pride in their achievement was evident. “You are forever a published author … and I just love y’all so much,” she said. “When you are old and you have kids of your own, you can say, ‘Look, look what I did. I’m an author.” 

“Watching each of the students share their poem at the poetry slam was such a great way to celebrate their smartness,” said Dr. Self. “We are so thankful for teachers like Mrs. Norman who go above and beyond to make learning fun and engaging for our students.”

From the back cover of the book:
“‘I’m Still Learning’ is a collection of poetry that shows the astonishing inner workings of a child’s mind. Each poem shows the reader just how imaginative these students are. All children should be allowed to express their creativity.” Paperback copies are available for purchase on Amazon.

SAISD extends our appreciation to The Bearded Barista for hosting our students and their families. With the help of our wonderful community partners we can provide more opportunities that aid in creating an engaging, relevant and inspiring educational experience for our area students.