Celebrating voices across campuses: A morning of literacy and collaboration

SHAPE, Belgium – Our Cross-Campus Literacy Celebration is a joyful reminder that powerful storytelling begins early and grows stronger when students learn from one another. This special event brought together elementary and middle school voices in our writing community for a morning filled with imagination, creativity, and mutual inspiration.

This collaborative program was facilitated by Mrs. Stacie Williams, SHAPE International Middle School Information Specialist, whose leadership brought together educators across campuses and grade levels. Through her coordination, Ms. Tracy M. Heinrich, SHAPE International Elementary Kindergarten Teacher, and Mr. John Taylor, Creative Writing Teacher at SHAPE International Middle School, partnered to create a meaningful and engaging literacy experience for students.

At the heart of the celebration was our Kindergarten Authors & Illustrators, who proudly debuted their first original books. Through vibrant illustrations and carefully crafted stories, our youngest learners demonstrated that even emerging writers have important stories to tell.

Joining them were students from the Middle School Creative Writing and AVID classes, who served as mentors, listeners, and fellow authors. These students shared their own original writing, modelling the writing process, and encouraged the next generation of storytellers through thoughtful feedback and conversations.

Throughout the morning, storytelling sessions, read-alouds, and illustration showcases highlighted the growth of writers across grade levels. This cross-campus exchange builds confidence in younger students while fostering leadership, empathy, and community among older students.

This celebration exemplifies how literacy connects us all. By bringing together authors of different ages and experiences, our school community reinforces the message that writing is a lifelong journey—and every voice matters.