Courtney Loynachan was a student in Dr. Lindquist's summer 2014 "Teaching Science in the Elementary School" methods course at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The course included an exploration of the power of writing as a learning tool for science with a particular focus on the use of science notebooks. Throughout the course, students were immersed in the doing of science--making full use of science notebooks consistent with the practice they would use with their students. Courtney was teaching on a variance in a Spanish Immersion program at Deephaven Elementary while seeking her full license. This provided an immediate instructional context for her to make application of ideas being explored in class. Courtney took to heart the power of focused writing as a way to improve science teaching in her classroom. This article shares her experiences with the use of science notebooks including factors associated with the Immersion learner, characteristics of an effective science notebook, importance of attending to academic language, and the role of formative assessment.