BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

St. John’s Students Hear from Buzz Writer

By Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, Staff writer | January 13, 2017

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St. John’s School fourth-grade students in Mrs. Ryan’s class holding up the January issue of The Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz. Students pictured are (back row, from left) Stockard Bragan, Alexandra Rodriguez, William Sasser, Sam Griggs, Wyatt Childers, William Oakley, Adair Patterson, Kit Haggard; (middle row, from left) Hayden Kramer, Cal Bechtol, Eliza Perrin, Lawson Duncan, Chester Posey; (front row, from left) Claire Nichamoff, Nadia Ali, Tess Artzer

Buzz writer Jennifer Oakley enjoyed speaking to Mrs. Ryan’s fourth grade class at St. John’s School this week. Jennifer’s son William is in the class and his teacher Mrs. Ryan invited her to speak to the students about what it’s like to be a writer.

Jennifer brought the January issue of The Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz, in which her article The Wishing Trees is the cover story, and read the article out loud to the students.

When Mrs. Ryan asked the class: “What did you notice about the article?” several students immediately answered “the voice,” explaining that they could hear Buzz resident Alexandra Knight’s voice throughout the story. The class also commented that they enjoyed all the different quotes from people throughout the article.

Several students had visited The Wishing Trees in River Oaks Pumpkin Park in person. Jennifer asked each student what their wishes would be, and was touched that all of them answered with sincere, empathetic wishes, such as “I would end cancer” or “I would end world hunger” or “I would wish for everyone to have a good home.” Jennifer was also impressed by how passionate all the students were about writing.

When flipping through the January issue, the class was so excited that several of them were featured in the Sports Buzz Jr. column this month.

If you haven’t already, be sure to read Jennifer Oakley’s The Wishing Trees. The trees can be followed on Instagram or Facebook.