The Writing Centre is designed to offer assistance in English writing skills to all our Secondary students. Academic standards at GWA are challenging and we are privileged to have a diverse student body; good writing is the basis of getting our knowledge across.
The Writing Centre is located in the library on the second floor of the Secondary school building.
It is open from 8:20am until 4:00pm, Sunday-Thursday.
GWA Writing Centre FAQs:
Do we need to make an appointment or can we just walk in when we need help?
Although you may be lucky enough to walk in and get help without a prior appointment, we strongly suggest you sign up beforehand on the appointment sheet outside the Centre so you can be sure to get the attention you need. It gets really busy at times, especially closer to the dates that class assignments are due, so you may find there is no time slot available just when you need it most.
Do you provide support only for students who are weak in English?
Although we make sure that our second language students get the extra writing support they need, we encourage all our secondary school students to come in, as and when they need to. We are happy to help students on a regular basis with their IB Extended Essays, English World literature papers and written commentaries, Humanities assignments, Biology lab reports and college admission essays, amongst other things.
We will also share with you some great online resources that you can make use of in your own time to practice your skills.
What exactly is it you do inside the Writing Centre?
At the Writing Centre we provide assistance in the development of individual writing skills. Our aim is to help you to help yourself by first identifying, and then developing, skills that will make you a better writer of English.
Part of the process will involve focusing on specific areas of concern in your work so that you will know what to look out for in the future. We will direct you to think about what it is that you are trying to accomplish in your writing.
How can we get individual attention when you have more than one student needing help at a time?
We are fortunate to have a number of competent volunteers from amongst our seniors and juniors who will work with us as Writing Centre Peer tutors. They have been recommended by their English teachers and Counselor and are well-qualified to provide support.
Can you help our Grade 12 students with their college admission essays?
Of course. And while we look at your essays and make our suggestions, we will emphasize that it is your voice that the college admissions officer needs to hear, not ours!
What do I need to bring with me?
You will need to bring in as much detail as possible on your specific task: teacher handouts, previous drafts, assignment rubrics and teacher comments indicating your specific problem areas. And, you will need to tell us exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Remember, above all, we will encourage you to keep control of your own writing!
GWA Writing Centre
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