Co-Pilot's Log Gives Middle Schoolers an Early Start into the High School Newsroom

After school on Tuesday one of the classrooms at the was transformed into a newsroom as the talk of story ideas, deadlines and layout went on amongst students as they discussed the next edition of the Co-Pilot’s Log, the school’s newspaper.

Moderated by eighth grade English literature teacher Mike Stillman, the Co-Pilot’s Log is the junior version of the high-school’s award-winning Pilot’s Log newspaper. For the past two years since Stillman has been overseeing the paper, he and administrators have been working to make the Co-Pilot work as a feeder to the Pilot’s Log preparing students for when they reach the high school.

“It’s a way to wet their appetite,” he said adding that the paper is still very much in its early stages. Since Stillman has been working with the students the paper has become more focused on news in the school, real world news and fun.

Eighth grade students serve as editor, copy-editors and layout while other students write stories for certain beats like art, sports and activities such as video games.

Stillman said he wants the kids to have much of a say in what goes in the paper as possible to give them the experience.

The Co-Pilot comes out four times a year and the editorial staff is currently working on its third edition which they hope will be out sometime in March. Students discussed ideas for stories which they keep to about 150 words or so and are working towards a deadline of March 1 the Tuesday following winter break.  Full editions are four pages black and white and PDF versions are in color. Special editions are one page back and front, Stillman said.

At the start of the year students do receive some basic news writing and layout skills, Stillman said.