Writing Advice?

Yesterday a dear friend called me. She called with questions as to how to teach writing to children in second grade, which is the grade she is assigned to for the upcoming school year. Her question got me thinking about how I teach in my own classroom of second graders, and we talked a bit about what strategies I use. Let's send it out to you. Any advice out there? How do you approach writing? Do you have a writing curriculum in your district or do you follow your language arts publisher?