Writing Opportunities through the AL Department
MMSD Advanced Writing Options 2026-27
These writing options are available for students in grades 3-5 and are coordinated by Ms. Darby (dmpuglielli@madison.k12.wi.us) at Randall and Stephens. All work must be your own and completed outside of class time. The use of AI or any form of plagiarism is not permitted. All can be written in English or Spanish.
Novel Writing
To participate in the novel writing option, you must create an original, school-appropriate novel that is over 10,000 words. The final document must be a Google Document shared with Ms. Darby and is due by January 11th.
Anthology Project
The Greater Dane Anthology Project* is for students in grades 3-5 to submit writing and art in Spanish or English. The project has a new theme each year, and for 2026-27, the theme is "Growing...". Entries are due by December 9th.
There are five genres and categories you can submit work to, and all submissions must be original and match the theme. Artificial Intelligence cannot be used to create your piece.
Submission Categories
Art: Artwork must be done in pencil or black pen on white paper. Accepted sizes include a 4.5" square, a 3" x 9" rectangle, a full art page template, or an 8.5" x 11" white paper. A title or "Untitled" must be included on a separate caption, not on the art itself.
Cartoon: Cartoons must be created using a pencil or black pen on white paper. The size can be a 4.5" square, three 3" squares, or a 3" x 9" rectangle. Each teacher has the papers for these. Cartoons should be captioned and cannot be a take-off on an existing cartoon.
Creative Writing/Narrative: The maximum length for a creative writing piece is 850 words. All entries must have a title.
Persuasive Writing: The maximum length for a persuasive writing piece is 475 words. Entries must have a title.
Poetry: Poems must be between 12 and 36 lines long on a single page, using a 12 pt. font and one-inch margins. Poems must be titled.
*Contest
Any submissions to Ms. Darby for the anthology have two different levels of competition: (1) school-based, any submissions that are school-appropriate immediately are accepted; (2) district and county, all submissions that score high on the rubric get submitted and are judged by people at the district level. Ones that “win” at the district level get published in the MMSD anthology and are also submitted to the county anthology, which is even more exclusive.
Typing at home: You can type in a google doc from a private account and share it with editing rights to your school account. You could also log in to your school account from a private device through https://myapps.classlink.com/mmsd.
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