INNISFAIL – There’s a lot more to newspapers than black and white.
Grade 8 students at Innisfail Middle School are learning about the newspaper industry as part of their English Language Arts and Social Studies classes.
"Some of the Grade 8 curriculum aligns itself with article writing and learning how to interview people. I thought it would be great to get an expert in to talk to the students,” said Amanda Oslund, teacher.
"I think it’s important to bring people in so kids can see different professions and learn from people who are professionals in the trade,” she added.
The project for the 45 students from two classes spans three weeks and includes a two-hour session with Province editor Johnnie Bachusky and graphic designer Jennifer Bath-Yofonoff, followed by two one-hour sessions with each class.
Students are involved in interviewing, writing articles and other aspects of producing a newspaper.
Oslund said the students have shown much interest in the project.
"They’re focused and asking a lot of questions,” she said, noting that some articles may be published in the Innisfail Province. "It’s pretty exciting to see.”
Bachusky said the project is one way the newspaper can give back to the community.
"We feel that we have a responsibility to engage in community outreach and this is our way of doing it,” said Bachusky. "We want to pass our knowledge along to the students and have a lot of fun at the same time.
"Jennifer and I are also learning about today’s youth,” he added. "It’s a wonderful project.”
Bath-Yofonoff, meanwhile, is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach the young students the production side of the industry.
"I talked to students about the five basics of graphic design,” said Bath-Yofonoff. "About how to catch the reader’s attention and what they should look for on pages so they can see what a graphic designer has done.”
Amanda Oslund, teacher
"I think it's important to bring people in so kids can see different professions and learn from people who are professionals in the trade."
