By Stacy Bates, Proctor Place
updated
Wed, Jan 25, 2012 12:12 PM
Photos courtesy of Laurie Serani
The Peer Leaders meet each week to discuss their budding
newspaper the "Ghost Post". This is a work-in-progress sample
that the peer leaders are hoping to have done by the end of this
month. It will be the first edition and the first year in the
history of Proctor school that the students have created a
newspaper.
Extra Extra get the latest news about Proctor Elementary in the new
edition of the Ghost Post. This school newspaper was formed just
this year by the newly organized Peer Leaders at Proctor Elementary
School (PES) and they have the scoop.
Over the years PES librarian, Donna Smyth, has been the trusted
adviser for the student council but when it came time for her to
move on, there was no one to pick up the duties which led to the
dissolution of the council. This year Michele Buzzell and Laurie
Serrani decided to be co-advisers and pick up where Smyth left off
but with a slightly different plan of action.
Instead of a student council the co-advisers decided to call the
new group Peer Leaders, which emphasizes kids as role models of the
school, available to help out when needed and set good examples.
This new title also eliminated the need for officers which, in the
past, had turned into a popularity contest. Now all the kids are on
equal footing able to share their ideas.
There has been an amazing turn out for peer leaders this year with
the group growing to about 25 kids. They are continuing to
fundraise for an outdoor sign in front of the school. They also
focus on Red Ribbon Week, the largest drug prevention campaign in
the country, held in October. They find ways to get the drug-free
message across through signs, activities and fun-themed days at
school where you can wear crazy socks or clash your clothing. They
do a great job of promoting healthy choices.
This year the peer leaders took on the new challenge of producing a
school newspaper. A couple of years ago student Liam Duggan asked
if they could start a school newspaper. At that time the idea was
shelved. This year Duggan once again brought up the idea and asked
friends if they would participate. With a group of students ready
and willing they went to their advisors to ask and Serrani and
Buzzel agreed to give it a try. Duggan was elected chief editor.
Then they voted to call it The Ghost Post. They divided into groups
to report on world news, weather, town news, sports, comics, joke
of the day, word of the day and library news. They are even going
to incorporated an advice column called Dear Phantom. When the kids
have gathered their news facts they will be responsible for typing
up their stories so Serrani and Buzzel can help layout the paper
and distribute it at the school.
"My job as chief editor is to make sure everyone gets their job
done and to keep things running smoothly," said Duggan. "My
favorite part is writing about world news because it interests me a
lot and I enjoy investigating it and learning about it."
They are hoping to come out with their first edition in the winter
and would like to publish a second edition in the spring.
"The kids are learning about working together, meeting deadlines,
and putting in extra time for something they believe in. They are
certainly very excited about the project," said co-advisor Laurie
Seranni. "We have kids all the time that want to join the group so
we must be doing something right!"
Tagged:
Proctor Place, Ghost Post, Proctor Elementary
