On June 4, Kinuso School hosted a creative writing camp. The event was designed to make a creative writing camp accessible to students who may not want to leave home to attend a traditional overnight camp.

The camp was led by teacher Kamryn Schmidt, who created a welcoming and encouraging environment for the students. Schmidt encouraged the students to create freely without worrying about perfect spelling, grammar, or self-criticism.

Throughout the afternoon, students responded to a variety of prompts designed to spark imagination and original thinking. These prompts gave them starting points, but the direction each story or piece of writing took was completely their own. Some students built scenes filled with action and adventure, while others focused on characters, emotions, settings, or surprising twists. The prompts served as invitations for students to discover what interested them most as writers.

One of the most impressive parts of the camp was how engaged the students were. The five students who participated stayed focused, engaged in the activities, and wrote a great deal based on the prompts they were given.

The camp also showed the value of creative opportunities within schools. Activities like this one give students space to use their voices in ways that they may not be able to in a traditional classroom setting. Creative writing allows students to practise communication, imagination, problem-solving, and personal expression all at once. It also helps them see writing as something enjoyable and meaningful, not just something required for marks.

The students wrote well and showed commitment to the process.

Sara Driedger
Lakeside Leader