Horsham Elementary School Launches School Newspaper

By Kellie Gates

HORSHAM, PA -- Wondering what happened to those hawks that were nesting on Hallowell Elementary School’s campus? Interested in STEM education or robotics? Want to hear the dish on what teacher allowed his fifth-grade students to turn him into a mummy with toilet paper?

The answers to these and many other questions can be found only in the Hallowell Hounds Gazette, an online newspaper written, edited and founded by students at Hallowell Elementary School in Horsham, PA.

Students say reporting, writing and editing the Gazette provides a chance to learn about things happening at their school, meet new people, and showcase the news and feature articles and fictional pieces they write.

“This is a chance to tell people about important facts and stuff they didn’t know before,” said fifth-grader Haley Adelman, who now edits the paper with Evelyn Acton, Sydney Cosmo, Isaac Kakiko, who are also in fifth grade.

“I really like writing stories and writing about things that happen,” said Annie Hudson, a fourth-grader who came to a recent meeting for prospective reporters. She and her family just moved to the district, so this is her first year at Hallowell. “I think it’s really cool that there is going to be a new school, and someone should write about it,” she said. “That could be me!”

Teachers and administrators say the paper encourages students to practice skills they need in school and in life, from learning to ask clear questions and write well to working with others and taking personal responsibility for their own work.

This win-win situation began last school year, when former Hallowell student Nate Rogers came up with the idea for a newspaper and sought the help of a few friends, teachers and Hallowell Principal Steven Glaize.

“I thought starting a newspaper would be a really cool idea because other schools have them but Hallowell didn't,” said Nate, now a sixth grader at Keith Valley Middle School.

Glaize told Nate and Joseph Acton, Jake McHugh and Christian Tedesco - the other boys who were the papers’ first editors – he supported their idea, but they would have to organize and run the paper mostly by themselves, and find a teacher who was willing to supervise.

That teacher, Maria Kerr, said she couldn’t say no to the students. Now she’s hooked on the paper, and very impressed by their work. “Children create and edit stories, and give up their recess periods to do so,” she said. “They have done such great work, and I love seeing their pride in authorship.”

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Hailey, Evelyn, Sydney and Isaac, the new crop of editors guiding the Gazette, are always looking for more writers.

Evelyn got hooked on elementary school journalism when she wrote that story about Hallowell’s hawks last year. “My brother (Joseph), who was one of the previous editors, encouraged me,” she said. Sydney said she has always loved the way writing makes her feel: “It’s peaceful.”

“I can create something funny or scary that will be amusing, and it could also amuse other people,” said Isaac.

There are many good reasons to become a Gazette news hound, other students said.

“When I saw they had started a paper, I thought maybe I should go in, maybe I could be published,” said fifth-grader Daniel Lewis, whose piece delving into the mysteries of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” ran in the last edition.

“I thought it would be really exciting to do stories and interview people,” said fifth-grader Daisy Torres.

“It’s very fun,” said fifth-grader Livia Sheahan. “And I thought if I joined, maybe I could inspire other people to join.”

Hallowell Principal Glaize is impressed. “I could not be more proud of our students and the leadership they have shown with this initiative,” he said.

Nate, the student who initiated the start of the paper, is thrilled by its continued success. “It makes me feel happy to know that something I helped create is going to keep going at Hallowell even though I've moved on,” he said.

“The best advice I can give is that they treat the project seriously and continue to add their own ideas and improvements to make a bigger and better Hallowell Hounds Gazette project for future students to be inspired by.”

Image courtesy Kellie Gates.