After School Writing Clubs
Sarah started Pencil Box Workshop with a hope of creating communities of young writers. Using the Writing Workshop model, Pencil Box blends structure – an emphasis on the writing process – with the freedom to explore and try.
Come join Pencil Box for a six-week after school workshop!
Our workshop will involve:
reading together
writing
brainstorming, drafting, revising, and publishing
illustration (if you like!)
games
Come write with us. This workshop welcomes all 1st-5th graders!
Cost: $120 for a six-week session*. The price includes a light snack and all materials.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made 7 days (or more) prior to the first day of class will receive a full refund minus a $20 administration fee. Cancellations made less than 7 days prior to the start of class will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations made after the first day will not receive a refund. We cannot offer full refunds because the class has a limited number of slots available. The administration fee helps cover costs of materials procured for your student and for the time needed to manage the waitlist and process refunds.
Why Writing?
At our heart, we are narrative creatures. Stories are intrinsic to our survival. In The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human, Jonathan Gotschall writes, “We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories”. Stories are truly a part of our DNA, and reading, writing, and sharing stories not only builds our brains but our kindness and empathy too.
Of course, there’s a practical reason to practice writing: we need to write clearly and think creatively in a world that is increasingly complex and global. Writing is, in fact, a practice and a process. We must engage in the process of writing, from brainstorming to revision and re-writing, in order to develop as writers. We must practice it in order to get better at it.
Fall 2025 Dates*
*The workshop will be offered all year long. These are fall sessions only!
Dunn Elementary (Mondays, from 3:30-445) * 3rd-5th graders
Session I (Fairy Tales and beginnings): September 15th, 22nd, 29th, October 6th, 13th, and 27th
Session II (Autumn Stories): November 3rd, 10th, 17th, December 1st, 8th, 15th)
Dunn Elementary (Thursdays, from 3:30-445) **all-levels 1-5th (and kinder by permission!)
Session I (Once Upon a Time: Folk and Fairy Tales): Sept 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, October 2nd, 9th
Session II (Dragons and Monsters and Other Magical Creatures): October 23rd, 30th, November 6th, 13th, 20th, December 1st
Bennett Elementary (Tuesdays, from 3:45-5) *Inquire for details
Session II (Dragons and Monsters and Other Magical Creatures): October 14th, 21st, 28th, November 4th, 11th, 18th)
*The workshop will be offered all year long. These are fall sessions only!
Registration
To register, please email pencilboxworkshop@gmail.com and include the name of your student, grade, and session preference. Sessions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.