‘Out Of The Gate’ Heads To Press

By Larissa Lytwyn

Middle Gate Elementary School fourth grader Emily Cannavo said there was no experience quite like the one she had recently interviewing her father, one of the school’s many printing center parent volunteers.

“I learned a lot about how the printing center works, and more about [my father], too,” she said.

Fellow fourth grader Cody Jones said he discovered a love of photography through taking pictures of the pieces created by the school’s Art Club.

Despite their very different experiences, Emily and Cody share a common link: both are currently staffers on Out of the Gate, Middle Gate’s student newspaper.

Out of the Gate debuted last spring under the guidance of education intern Melissa Dorish.

“It all started last January when [Principal] Judy Gallo asked if anyone was interested in being an advisor for a school newspaper,” said Ms Dorish, a former New Britain Herald reporter. “Ms Gallo explained that a fourth grade student had made a request for one. With my professional background, I jumped at the chance to be a part of it!”

Close to 55 fourth graders signed up to join the staff.

Ms Dorish divided the group into two sections of about 25 students each.

Ms Dorish’s first group began meeting last February. They decided to title the newspaper Out of the Gate. By spring, they had produced a 12-page publication that was distributed schoolwide.

The second group began meeting in mid-April and followed the same process, producing their issue by the end of the school year in June.

“This [fall], I enlisted the help of Mr Sullivan, since a change in my schedule didn’t always allow me to meet with the group at the same time every week,” Ms Dorish explained.

In late October, Ms Dorish distributed a sign-up sheet and once again garnered about 55 responses.

Again, she divided the group into two sections.

The first group of fourth graders is currently meeting with the goal of producing the school’s fall/winter issue in time for holiday break.

Students can choose to be illustrators, reporters, or photographers. Currently, Out of the Gate boasts 14 reporters, six photographers, three illustrators, and one student who created a special word-search directory.

At their first meeting, each student received his or her own ID card and assignment sheet.

After completing their assignments, students submitted rough drafts of their work to Ms Dorish, who revised and edited the pieces.

Then, “The students will type their final stories into a database and Mr Sullivan and I will handle the layout of the actual pages,” Ms Dorish explained.

Photographs are developed and then transcribed into a CD format for easy computer access.

The newspaper will be run in black-and-white.

The upcoming issue will feature coverage of the school’s multiple Veterans’ Day events, the Turkey Trot and mile run, profile of longtime teachers, and a feature on the Art Club, among many other stories.

The young staffers said they had already learned a lot through their participation on the newspaper, including the importance of meeting deadlines on time, interview preparation, and story structure.

“Being on the newspaper has turned out to be a lot of fun,” said staff member Jilliana Ciamarra. “I really like interviewing people. It’s really interesting to find out more about them.”

Fellow staff member Brittany Emslie agreed.

“When I first joined the newspaper, I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” she said. “But it’s turned out to be a great time. I love trying new things, and I’ve definitely learned a lot.”

Brittany added that she also “really liked” the process of interviewing.

Ms Dorish said she enjoyed the entire experience of exposing children to journalism and teaching them how to write in a news-style format.

“It’s been a great experience, working with the students,” she said. “Mr Sullivan has also been very helpful. We’ve had a lot of wonderful support! It’s been great.”