Student journalists are sharing their skills by mentoring elementary students. Here’s how two newspaper staffs are being leaders:
Aside from publishing a weekly newspaper, The Tower staff of Grosse Pointe South High School in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., mentored a second grade class using journalistic skills, the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association reports. Linda Whelan, a teacher at Maire Elementary school, assigned her second grade class to write a feature story based on the state’s new curriculum. Jeff Nardone, The Tower adviser, and the staff taught the students about how anecdotes and quotes help tell a story.
The project was such a success that Nardone and his staff plan to return to Whelan’s class and other elementary teachers in the district want to have similar projects.
In the December issue of Stet, a magazine published by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, Nardone said:
Smoke Signals, my former high school newspaper in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., mentors to second graders as well. Linda Evanchyk, Smoke Signals adviser, began The Kid’s World program in 1990 with second grade teacher Jenifer Bafundo at Elliot Point Elementary School. Both were high school friends.
Each staff member has one second grade pen pal for the entire school year. The students visit their pen pals several times a year at the elementary school and attend field trips. The program includes activities such as a book club where the staff chooses a book series each year and the pen pals share their reviews of each book.
In an email interview, Evanchyk said:
The Kid’s World project gives the high school students a venue to pass on their love for the written word. In addition, it places responsibility on them to serve as good role models to the younger students. I believe it is one of the most positive programs I have developed over my 29 years of teaching.
