The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Alternative High School students reach out
Teenagers launch a newspaper as part of new program
By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
Members of the editorial team of The Star were busy brainstorming story ideas, poring over page layouts, and tossing around marketing strategies last week, just days before the debut issue would roll off the press.
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The student newspaper for Saline Alternative High School is being published by the students in the school's new leadership class, itself just a few weeks old.
Dubbed "The STAR Program" by students, the leadership class will give the teens an opportunity to positively engage in their school, the district and throughout their community.
Staff liaison and Saline Alternative High School teacher Bridget Templin said the acronym stands for Students Taking Active Rolls.
"I'm so proud of these kids," she said from her desk, where she was correcting papers last week while the team talked about the newsletter. "They are doing the whole thing themselves. I just get the pleasure of watching it all happen."
Jodie Jamurath-Singh was sketching page layouts for the four-page newspaper. Danny Stevens was creating a list of story assignments.
"We will have all the news from the school, a calendar of activities, and lots of fun columns like our top 10 i-tunes picks, celebrity gossip and our word-of-the-week," Stevens said.
Alyssa McCoy and Katelyn Scott suggested an advice column and sports updates, while Serena Casteels and Kristin Ward decided it would be important to include an honor roll to recognize students who earned all A's and B's during recent weeks. "Perfect attendance yields success," they said.
Jacob Rankin, Hudson Smith and Dustin Stiltner round out the team.
The nine students were handpicked by staff and administrators for the STAR program. They will reach out with volunteer efforts in elementary schools and participate in fundraisers.
They are inviting members of the community to share their career insight and leadership experience. Together, they intend to write a grant for supplies and a program to nourish their team-building education.
The newspaper is the first of their efforts to communicate what goes on in their space at Union School.
"Our students are taking on various volunteer roles in the community, as well as the school and classroom to display their leadership qualities," Templin said.
Saline Alternative High School, according to its mission statement, provides innovative and responsible education for students with unique learning styles. Staff strives to meet students' educational and social needs in a physically and emotionally safe environment at historic Union School in downtown Saline.
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