Upon returning from Spring Break, students will be able to experience a school first.  Last year, Grayslake Central hosted their first annual “Writers Week.” As a spin-off of this idea, the Knights will be hosting “Spark Week” which will occur the Tuesday-Friday following break.

“The purpose is just to engage students in something we can’t offer in a classroom setting,” said Superintendent Dr. Catherine Finger. “It’s all about the arts and sparking the students’ imagination in creative ways.”

Finger is looking forward to being part of such a new experience for the school.

“I am a big fan of the fine arts. I’ve hosted Writers Weeks in my past, and it’s something I feel very strongly about. It’s my ninth year here, and the idea of something similar has been mentioned for the last four or five years. Last year, Central ‘planted the seed,’ and now, I am excited for the opportunity to host such an event again,” she said.

The premise of “Spark Week” was created by English teachers Tom New and Julia Burkel.

“We really want to create a foundation for creativity and inspire students and staff through music, writing and the arts,” Burkel said.

Rather than just focusing on writing, New hopes “Spark Week” will apply to a broader group of students.

“We want to celebrate the arts—all of the fine arts, and not just writing. We believe that writing and the arts extend beyond just authors,” New said.

Prior to the event, it was necessary for the staff to plan. They also asked the staff of the literary magazine to help.

“Both schools were involved. Mr. New and Mrs. Burkel were thinking and planning well before summertime. Then, during the summer, we shared those plans. We had to discuss student interest, and we listened to feedback from Central. When it came time to invite artists, we had to work on that, and finally we discussed a budget and whether it would be paid for by the district, or if we would host a fundraiser,” Finger said.

83 Literary Magazine has also been busy publicizing the event, so that following break, the turnout results in all the spots being filled.

“Our members and teachers have been inviting honorable Fine Art individuals from all around the country to come to our school and bring enthusiasm about creativity to the students,” said literary magazine member Elizabeth Woodruff. “The students are currently working on getting the word out. We already have the lineup of our guests, and we’ve been preparing their arrivals and schedules for quite some time.”

Presenters for the week include: Authors H.B. Ward, Barry Lyga and Andy Schmidt; bands “The Mutts” and “Dot Dot Dot”; Second City, and Finger.

“I am actually presenting about a novel I wrote that will be published in January 2015. It’s about a female police chief,” Finger said. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to engage kids in literature, and I am excited to present to them.”

Among others, 83 Literary Magazine is also excited to see their hard work pay off.

“To me, Spark Week is a chance to introduce fellow students to our club and to bring some interesting people to our school. We hope that it allows students to feel inspired,” Woodruff said.