Author Visit – Matt Beighton

On Monday, April 20th, we hit the ground running by welcoming children’s author and former teacher all the way from the UK Matt Beighton to UISG for a full day of author talks and creative writing workshops.

Matt worked with students across different grade levels, tailoring each session to their age and interests. Grade 5 kicked off the day with a two-hour “Quests & Quills” workshop – a hands-on, role-play inspired session described as “Dungeons & Dragons meets Warhammer.” Students gathered around miniature models and landscapes, creating characters, acting out small adventures in small groups, all while turning their gameplay into original stories. The gamified nature of the workshop had everyone fully engaged, with students eagerly sharing their narrative twists and celebrating each other’s creative choices.

Grade 4 had a chance to explore a “Branching Narratives” workshop (choose-your-own-path stories). Working in groups, they broke down the simple tale of Little Red Riding Hood and discovered how a small tweak – “what if Red doesn’t want to go to Grandma’s house?” or “what if the wolf was a vegetarian?” – can completely change the outcome. Laughter and excitement filled the room as students compared the different paths their stories had taken and realized that getting “stuck” while writing just means they need to make a choice.

Students from UISZ were also able to join for a portion of each morning session, and then had their own, private, assembly-style author talk during P4. After sending the G12 students off on their last day, the whole of UISG Primary enjoyed their own lively assembly with Matt. The day finished with another “Quests & Quills” session for Grade 6. Once again, students collaborated in teams, acting out fantasy scenarios and then writing with newfound confidence. The game-like atmosphere turned even reluctant writers into eager participants.

Reflecting on the visit, Matt shared:

Working with the children of UISG and UISZ was an absolute pleasure. I was impressed with their imagination and their willingness to push themselves with their writing. Thank you for a wonderful, welcoming opportunity to work with you all.

A huge thank you to Matt for an inspiring day, and to all the teachers and students who made him feel so welcome. We hope his visit will continue to spark creativity in our young writers for many weeks to come.