Cooperstown Elementary School Launches ‘Walnut St. Journal’ Student Newspaper

By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
COOPERSTOWN

“The Freeman’s Journal” has some new competition in Cooperstown: about a dozen elementary schoolers.

Launched this school year, the “Walnut St. Journal” is the publication of the Cooperstown schools’ newspaper club, located, of course, on Walnut Street. The paper is staffed by 4th- through 6th-graders under the guidance of junior-senior high school English teacher Margaret Richtsmeier and fellow mom and community volunteer Maggie Dowd, who say the name emerged independently from Dowd and the students before being voted atop the masthead.

The first issue of the paper, published in December and sent home with students schoolwide, covers everything from the impact of Hurricane Melissa on local community members to a music review for “Debut” by the Los Angeles based girl group Katseye. The “Bounce it by Bella” advice column by the eponymous Bella Cembrinski tackles the issue of a “jilted” letter-writer whose friend has begun spending a lot of time with someone else. Original photography ties the four-page issue together.

Richtsmeier and Dowd, both of whom have their own child in the club, told AllOtsego the experience offers a valuable opportunity for students to explore their interests and learn at the same time.

“They’re very receptive to strengthening their work,” Richtsmeier said. “They’ve really blown me away with their maturity and focus.”

“It’s been, I think, way more fulfilling than either of us could have expected,” she added.

School leaders love it, and the first issue made the superintendent spotlight at a recent school board meeting.

The young reporters, who had to opt in, run the gamut of reasons to be there: Eli Smith likes to take photos (and his mom said he could use her camera if he did it); Tommy Richtsmeier thought the school needed a newspaper; Emma Clements wanted to write more. In less diplomatic, journalistically rebellious parlance, a couple said their parents strongly advised them to do it.

But again and again, students gave voice to the same feeling which has long drawn people to make and consume news: the ability to see oneself and their community represented for others, too, to see.

“I wanted to be able to see my work in an actual newspaper,” Elizabeth Yeske told AllOtsego while taking a break from her timely research into Harriet Tubman for a Black History Month story. “I feel like I wanted to put something in the newspaper to be able to tell people about what’s happening.”

Gathering in the library after school on Friday, January 16, students grilled an AllOtsego reporter on whether he receives any negative feedback (“Oh yes! This week!”) and other tricks of the trade before moving over to the white board to plan out the next issue. They craft stories for their audience, spanning from the kindergartners whose reading level needs to be kept in mind to the parents who may be looking for something a bit meatier.

In an age where many students are prone to apathy and disengagement, the sprightly sleuths and their advisors had to push back a story or two because there might be too much content.

“Maybe the next issue,” Dowd replies to one idea, amidst a small sea of raised hands.

The kids are no strangers to the tight deadlines of a modern newsroom– Parker Moore has swimming in five minutes. So she steps out of the editorial meeting early to get some more words on the page.

When the rest break out into groups, some develop questions for the star varsity basketball player while others prep for the pizzeria owner interview. A few more edit the stories they already have in front of them as parents and older siblings trickle in to pick them up for the weekend off.

The team hopes to push out four more issues before the end of the school year, though some want to be even more ambitious.