This Week at Sentence Center

We are happy to continue what started in 2025 with The Sentence Center Review’s Writing Excellence Award. Our teachers nominated essays for each class level to receive this special recognition. The quality of writing was considered, but also the effort, attitude, and determination that the writer brings to class each week. The process of becoming a strong writer is a marathon, not a sprint. The power of continuing to show up, take feedback, and work hard cannot be overstated.

To wrap up our final Summer Spotlight, meet Ariana: one of our long-time students who's now headed to an elite private school in Miami… “Ariana Jane, come inside. Don’t be shy.” A petite child in pigtails peeked from behind her mother’s back. “It’s OK, dear. Hold my hand. You’re going to write today.” As the nervous second grader entered the classroom, she started to sob, trying to find refuge behind her mom’s legs.

We treated our taste buds to opinion and explainer essays expressing our thoughts on desserts, summer activities, and diets. Speaking of sensory details, Creative Writing students explored imagery in their stories this week! As a reminder, Application Essay Workshops are still open for enrollment. For help with the timed essay test, personal statement, or short response questions, enroll your 5th-8th grader for 3 Friday afternoons (4:30-6:30 pm, PT) of essay writing instruction with Mr. Chino.

We celebrated the final weeks of summer vacation with informative and argument essays about screen-free weekend activities, genres of entertainment, and our thoughts on “practice makes perfect.” As we approach back-to-school season, we will be continuing our super successful Application Essay Workshops.

We bid goodbye to the tangy July summertime with exciting narrative essays and personal statements about daring adventures, overrated experiences, and conquering our fears. Our Summer Writing Program is into its final two weeks, so join us before the school year begins! Are you considering sending your kids to private middle or high schools? This fall, we will be continuing our super successful Application Essay Workshops.

We launched into literature models with excerpts from A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, and Bomb by Steve Sheinkin. Our summer classes even got to travel forward in time to tell imaginary tales of the future! Though we only have 3 weeks to go at our Summer Writing Program, we still have a few openings left.

We’re all abuzz here at Sentence Center celebrating Isabela Park’s debut novel, Chrysanthemum. Isabela started in our Elementary Composition and then Advanced Creative Writing classes, before working 1-1 with Ms. Margaret to finish her novel. We asked the young author to share some of her insights from climbing that mountain to publication! Sentence Center: How would you pitch your novel to prospective readers?

We indulged in informative and explainer essays describing our favorite desserts, our dream jobs, and the silliest individuals in our lives. Keep reading for some fiction-writing highlights from our Summer Writing Program! Happy Writing, Ms. Ana Questions about our programs or your writer? Reaching out to us is as easy as replying to this email. The shelter was made of steel that cooled my body when I touched it... There were at least 50 people squished into this cramped room.

We soaked in the summer sunshine as we pored through excerpts from Stuart Little by E.B. White, Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, and Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang. As a reminder, Sentence Center will be closed on July 4th, 2026. Hope you enjoy your holiday weekend! P.S. Our super popular Summer Writing Program has just a few spots left - we’d love for your child to join us! Questions about our programs or your writer? Reaching out to us is as easy as replying to this email.

Publishes on June 20th, 7:55pm. Subscribe now and receive the post in your inbox when it’s live