Lois Szymanski Visited Delmar Again!

During the 2001-2002 school year Mrs. Lois Szymanski agreed to participate for a third year in the "Authors in Residence" program at Delmar Elementary School. Six students in Mrs. Weeg's third grade computer class wrote stories with the help of their online mentor, Mrs. Szymanski, who has written many children's books. The project was very successful and enjoyed by all. The students were filled with excitement when Mrs. Szymanski wrote and said she was coming to Delmar to meet them and speak to the entire school. Pictured here are the students who worked with Mrs. Szymanski since 1999. Our mentoring author also visited Miss Damush's second grade classroom.

During lunch Mrs. Szymanski visited her former "authors" from the 1999-2001 school years who are now in grade 4.

Mrs. Szymanski ate lunch in the school cafeteria with some of her 2001-2002 student authors.

May 20, 2002
Dear Mrs Szymanski,
Thank you for visiting us. I think you are the best teacher in the world. I love your books and your pictures. Thank you for coming to our school and speaking with the us.I loved your book Hugs and Kisses. I like how you helped me with my story.
Your friend,
Zachary

MAY 20, 2002
Dear Mrs. SZYMANSKI,
I'm sorry that I wasn't here because I was in Virginia last week. I had fun at Virginia and I got to go to the pool. Thank you for coming to my school. Thank you for reading my story . I feel happy that I made a better story because you helped me. It was hard to do but you made it easy.
Your friend,
Shanita

May 20, 2002
Dear Mrs Szymanski,
I like the story named Little Icicle. And I like the other books too. Thank you for helping me do my story.
Your Friend,
Jay

May 20, 2002
Dear Mrs. Lois Szymanski,
Did you have a good trip back home? We had thunderstorms that night. Thank you for coming to our school and reading your books to us. They were good books and I like them. It was fun when you helped me do my story The Lost Necklace. It was fun writing the story.
Your friend,
Niki

May 21,2002
Dear Mrs. Szymanski
Thank you visiting our school. Thank you for helping me with my story all year. You gave me good ideas for my story. My story took a lot of time. You are a good friend to me. You helped me with my story. I wish I could read all your stories. They look like real good books. Do you enjoy your books? I hope you enjoy your books. They are good books. I ordered a book last year and it was a good book.
Your friend,
David

May 21,2002
Dear Mrs. Szymanski,
Thank you for visiting our school. Your book Hugs and Kisses was great. When I got home I started to cry. It was the best book I ever read . I felt like I was there in the book. I could be the vet's daughter. I was reading that book over and over. I'm going to be an author when I grow up. I love to read books over and over. My friend has Misty of Chincoteague. She loves it . I started to read a few pages. I could be just like you.The part where Hugs and Kisses got stronger at the end was nice to know that they got better and healthier. When you told us about Little Icicle.I liked when you told me how the fireman helped the little horse.
Thank you for helping me with my story.
Your friend,
Haley

From Mrs. Szymanski:
June 6, 2002
Hi Zachary, Shanita, David, Haley, Niki and Jay,
Thank you so much for your kind letters! I loved coming to meet you at your school, and especially spending lunch with my favorite new friends! It was important to me to spend time with each of you. Not only did I get to know you a little better, I also had a lot of fun!
Shanita, I really wish I could have met you in person to tell you how super your story is and how proud I am of you and the hard work you did. Maybe next year we will meet?
David asked me if I like stories, and the answer is yes! I love to read and write stories!
Haley said she felt like the vet's daughter when she read "Hugs and Kisses" and that proved to me that she is a writer. A writer always feels like a character in the books we read! Each of you wrote such kind words to me, and it made me want to come back to Delmar just to give you each a hug!
You all did a great job on all your stories. I will never forget Zachary's story about Joey and his adventure at the carnival, or Shanita's exciting "magic ring", or how David made a baseball game come alive in my mind! The next time I see a bag of toy soldiers, I know I will think of Jay and wonder if those little plastic men could come to life. And when my cat cuddles up on my lap, I will remember how Haley's story of Mia and Maud showed me that so many of us have a special pet in our lives, and how important they are to us.
Thank you to each of you for saying you enjoyed my books. That means so much to me. Meeting you all has been a very special part of my year. I hope you have a wonderful summer. Keep putting story ideas in your idea folders and write down all your adventures. One day you will read them to your children and remember how it felt to be your age, and a student at Delmar Elementary school. You are all such terrific writers, I hope you keep using your skills!
All My Best Wishes to You,
:>)
Lois Szymanski