The Bulldog Gazette may not be the first iteration of a newspaper in Roosevelt Middle School’s long history, but it may be the first to capture digital innovation.
Launched during the 2022-23 school year after the end of the pandemic, it was, and is, a student-led venture that combines a blend of feature articles and – for the middle school level – hard news (like why schedule changes were necessary) and opinion pieces (where building leaders and students are interviewed).
What’s particularly unique is that the Gazette is a digital-first news outlet, according to Julie Fleisch, a building literacy coach who is the teacher sponsor of the publication.
“They work in [software] Canva, they each get their own idea from start to finish,” Fleisch said. “We have editors and leads who come in and make the final adjustments. The kids do the writing, the formatting and design.”
On a recent Thursday morning, 13 youngsters pecked away at laptops and exchanged ideas while eating lunch … almost exactly like an actual newsroom.
According to Rose, an eighth grader who is the editor, the Gazette was an obvious choice as an extracurricular activity for her.
“I really like the writing of it, and I like typing up the article and making it into this whole story, and I really like meeting teachers I would never know before if I hadn’t interviewed them,” she said. “I like when it comes together and I get to see the finished work and know people are reading it.”
Spoken like a true editor. The publication’s assistant editor is Lucie, a seventh grader, whose sentiments are similar.
“I really like just letting my own and other people’s ideas being heard out a little bit,” they said.
The printed copy of the Gazette is about 10 pages and it is loaded with content and departments you might see in the Wednesday Journal. The October issue had a short feature congratulating the school’s cross country teams on a stellar season. That was flanked by a Teacher Double-Feature, a Q&A written by Rose with two of the school’s world language teachers.
Inside, you’ll find a student poll – what’s your favorite Jolly Rancher flavor? – Trivia Time, a Fun & Games page with a word search and a movie review, a recipe page, and a very interesting A or B feature that asks whether a photo is real or created with Artificial Intelligence.
The Gazette has impacted the top echelon of school leadership, including principal Tina Steketee, who was an assistant principal back in the 2022-23 school year. The students who wanted to launch the publication presented their idea to her.
“The newspaper club provides a wonderful space for students to express their creativity, refine their writing skills, and connect with peers who share their interests,” Steketee said. “I applaud their dedication and congratulate them on their excellent work.”
But mostly, the Gazette is just a good time for its staff. Call it fun with a purpose.
“Last year I was an editor, so that was a lot of layout and technical stuff,” said Grace, a seventh grader. “This year I’m writing articles. I don’t really cover sports as much, but I did do an article once where I went to a game and filmed and took pictures and stuff. It was like a package.”
What are the hardest stories they’ve worked on? Camryn, another seventh grader, recalled their biggest challenge:
“Back when I first started doing newspaper, I did a story on the Grammys,” they said. “I think it was last school year. I hadn’t watched them, so I had to go back and watch the whole thing in my free time, and then actually had to write the article.”
Again, spoken like a true reporter.
But it’s more than writing. Sixth-grader Evie is a sort of Jill of all trades for the Gazette.
“I’m usually the photo person adding little pictures and stuff to make it look nice,” she said. “I also do the word searches, the puzzles and last month I did an AI quiz. And I do the sustainability page.”
Fleisch said that there are roughly 20 students per year that work on the Gazette, but the rules are flexible, so the youngsters attend by choice.
“It ebbs and flows,” she said. “If they are in a sport in the fall, they will join us in the winter and spring.”