SPS student book 'What I've Learned So Far' celebrates 30th anniversary, reunion Friday

Thirty years ago, Springfield students of all ages were asked to write a response to the prompt "What I've Learned So Far."

Thousands of children and teenagers, including a 7-year-old Shaun Munday, jotted down sentences and turned them in.

David Harrison, an author and the current Poet Laureate of Missouri, compiled the submissions into a book that was published to raise money for the Writing Endowment Fund, which continues to support literacy and writing efforts in classrooms.

The 1993 anthology stands, all these years later, as a sort of time capsule full of the wit and wisdom of students in Springfield Public Schools.

"It was such fun and, especially with young people, when you see the looks on their faces, it is just priceless," Harrison said.

The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the book at a special event Friday evening.

"I've had some responses from people, even in other parts of the world now, that remember that book," Harrison said. "I have no idea how many people will come to this but I'd just love it if we have standing room only. However many it is, we'll have a good time.

Harrison added: "It will be such a pleasure to meet some of the people. I didn't know a lot of them as kids but it will be fun to shake their hands and say 'Hello and thank you for being in the book.'"

Under Harrison's mentorship, the entire book was written, designed, and edited by SPS students and staff. The age of contributors ranged from 4-19.

Anyone connected to the book, or interested in supporting student writing, is encouraged to attend Friday.

"What a great time to celebrate and have a reunion," said Natalie Murdock, the foundation's executive director. "We have gotten a few of the kids from the book, who are now not kids, to join us. We have displays to show them then and now."

Murdock said tickets are on sale through Thursday and any proceeds from the event will go to the writing fund. She said the project was the brainchild of Harrison, a prolific author and poet who has a school in southwest Springfield named in his honor.

She said Harrison is a "father of the foundation," part of a core group of public school supporters who found a way to provide ongoing financial support for teachers, students and classroom projects.

"He has really maintained constant contact with us," she said. "Just personally, he is a mentor but also a person who was instrumental in building this foundation into what it is today. We are big fans."

Harrison said the idea for the book came in the early years of the foundation, when it was still establishing itself, and he thought getting teachers and students involved in this project might help raise awareness.

"We were brainstorming about how can we convince (SPS) teachers to let us in, let us know what we could do to help and cooperate with us," he recalled. "I said 'Well, since I'm in a position to know something about publishing, why don't we spearhead a book that would be written ... primarily by students."

He said the impetus behind the book was to get into each classroom "in a positive way, encouraging writing and supporting young writers."

The response to the request for student responses was overwhelming.

"The number was either 11,000 or 12,000 submissions, which was almost half the student body ... at the time. Wow," he said. "I had these things on the floor, spread out, they essentially carpeted my house, and I was walking around and trying to figure out what to do next."

Harrison said a team of teachers stepped up to help edit the submissions and weed out any redundancies. The final book included roughly 10% of the responses.

"I registered it with Congress and got a bar code. It was copyrighted. I went the entire process you do when you're publishing a book and then began to promote it," he said. "I had some signing parties, autograph parties, and kids would sit around the room behind tables, waiting with pen in hand."

Munday, a noted singer and bassist, grew up in Springfield. As a student at Boyd Elementary, he was asked to write a line or two for the book.

"They asked if I had any words of wisdom, that a 7-year-old could offer anyway," Munday, 37, recalled with a laugh. "I said when I feel bad I talk to my mom or dad and then I feel better."

Munday, who tours regularly and has performed internationally, will provide music at the celebration Friday.

Asked what he recalled about being part of a published book while still in elementary school, Munday responded "I just thought it was cool and interesting. I thought it would be cool to be in a book, that was pretty fun."

He said it wasn't until years later that he appreciated the "beauty" of that early experience and is looking forward to reflecting on it at the event.

"It's like this wonderful juxtaposition of then and now," he said. "For me to look back, it seems like it was an entirely different universe at the time ... I really wanted to be part of that."

Want to go?

The 30th anniversary of "What I've Learned So Far" will be celebrated from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the White River Conference Center, 600 W. Sunshine St.

Tickets are $30.

The event will include remarks from author David Harrison, updates from students featured in the book, performances by Springfield Little Theatre and the Academy of Fine & Performing Arts students as well as local musician Shaun Munday.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: SPS student book 'What I've Learned So Far' marks 30th anniversary