Students from Jennifer Lynn DeCarlo’s fifth grade class at Nokomis Elementary School have been working as Kidsday reporters since the beginning of December.
Kidsday, a supplement produced by Newsday, offers students a look at the worlds of journalism and printing and gives them hands-on experience.
Patrick Mullooly, the editor of Kidsday, visited the class three times this year so far. He helps the students brainstorm ideas for their submissions, assists in writing an advice column, and guides them in creating artwork for the issue.
“In between visits from Pat, we spent time researching, sharpening our writing skills, and typing our work in the computer lab at Nokomis,” Ms. DeCarlo said.
The class will have its work published in Kidsday starting on May 4.
As part of the Kidsday experience, students were able to interview some celebrities, including Erin Brady, who is the current Miss USA. Four students were chosen to go to New York City to interview Brady and enjoy spending time with her.
“I felt so excited the moment we got there,” said Connor Patton, a student in Ms. DeCarlo’s class. “[Erin] was so nice and the experience was so fun.”
“It was amazing to meet Miss USA,” added Johanna Kelly, another student in the class. “She said stuff that was touching and inspiring. If I could meet her again, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Ms. DeCarlo said it’s been a joy to watch her students improve as readers and writers throughout the experience.