Student newspaper benefits hospital
With this month’s issue of the Glover Gazette just hot off the copier, the East Akron elementary school’s student journalists already are hard at work on May’s edition. Their deadline is tight. They are trying to raise $1,000 to benefit Akron Children’s Hospital.
And they are learning valuable skills while spreading the word about what’s going on at Glover. The fourth- and fifth-graders on the Gazette’s staff give up their lunchtime recess three days a week to put the newspaper together under the supervision of kindergarten teachers Dana Davis and Sandy Shoemaker. Neither teacher has previous journalism experience. Their first edition was two pages.
“We just started putting it together and doing a lot of cut and paste to figure out how to fit it all,” Shoemaker said. “Mrs. Davis is really good with technology. I’m more on the writing end. We just figured it out and just got better at it.”
Together they now produce a 12-page folded newspaper on 11-by-17-inch paper. Coverage includes stories about Glover classes and events, a College and Career Ready section in which students interview people about their jobs, and puzzles and jokes. Students also take photos or use photos submitted by teachers.
“We just think of cool stuff that would make the newspaper better,” said fifth-grader Alyssa Harper, 11. She has an interest in baking and came up with a kid cuisine section.
After brainstorming story ideas, they assign the different jobs like editor, assistant editor and writer, which rotate, and begin doing their research and writing stories.
When the stories are written, they are edited in Google Docs and printed out. Today’s newsrooms are computerized, but the Glover Gazette relies on the traditional method of actually cutting up printouts and pasting the text and photos onto the pages, which are then photocopied in the school office. It takes about three hours to print 250 copies.
The paper is supplied through a one-time donation from nearby Lockheed Martin, which went through a workforce reduction in 2015. Denise Goldinger, administrative assistant to the general manager, estimates thousands of reams of paper were given at a value in the thousands of dollars.
The students go from classroom to classroom selling the Gazette for 25 cents a copy. All funds benefit Children’s Hospital. Last year, the newspaper’s copies sold for 10 cents. Students raised $531. This year students so far have raised $532.
On a recent school day, fifthgrader Aniya Phillips, 11, was busy typing in a story at a bank of computers set up in the classroom. To get involved with the paper, she and other students were asked to write a paragraph about why they would like to be part of the staff, Shoemaker said. It also gives the teachers a preview of the students’ writing skills.
“I wanted to do things for the school because I wanted people to know the news,” Aniya said. “I always wanted to see what it felt like to be on a newspaper.”
The school paper launched last year after a group of fifth-graders wanted to start the publication. Davis and Shoemaker agreed to serve as the advisers.
Those students have since moved on to Roswell Kent Middle School, where they started a newspaper there, too.
The students build relationships during their work sessions, getting to know each other and eating lunch together.
“That in itself is a wonderful learning experience,” Davis said.
The Gazette staff gets an assist from Barbara Edwards, 87, of Akron, who has been volunteering at Glover for 40 years. Her children and her grandson attended Glover, and she used to live across the street.
“I help advise, if I can think of something,” she said. “And then my job is folding” the newspapers after the copies are made. She likes volunteering because she gets to help the children.
“Don’t let her fool you,” Shoemaker said. “She comes up with a lot of our ideas and gives the kids suggestions.”
A reporter and photographer who visited Davis’ classroom this week found out what it’s like to be on the other side of the notebook and camera. Alyssa and fourth-grader Rylynn Pinter, 10, sat down with Beacon Journal photographer Leah Klafczynski for the College and Career Ready section. Alyssa recorded the interview on a flip video camera and Rylynn took notes.
They started with the basics. “Can I get the correct spelling of your name, please?” “Explain what you do at your job.”
Fifth-graders Daviona White, 11, and Aniya interviewed a Beacon Journal reporter. The questions provoked some serious thought: “What has been the most exciting project you have worked on?” “Any advice for students?”
Rylynn said she loves working on the newspaper.
“This year is my first year at Glover and I want to show my Glover spirit,” she said. “I joined the newspaper and it really made me happy because ... I got to learn about the students and I got to show the school what I know. I get to interview people, which is really exciting, because I get to meet new people.”
She’d like to go into journalism when she grows up.
Aniya is considering it, too. “I love to write,” she said.