For years, Scituate High School students have taken Introduction to Journalism and Honors Journalistic Writing in order to improve their writing skills, learn the art of journalism, and produce the high school publication, The Scituation. Until this year, journalism classes were not offered through Scituate Public Schools until freshman year of high school. Thanks to Ms.Colleen Simpson, Library Media Specialist at Gates Middle School, that all changed this past fall. Simpson created a journalism program at the middle school and is now the faculty adviser of the Gates school newspaper The Middle Anchor.

The strictly online publication consists of ten dedicated staff writers who meet Wednesdays after school. Coming up with a name for the newspaper was the first priority. Twenty-five students attended the first meeting, all of whom offered suggestions for a name. Then, a Google form was created to take final votes. After a heated debate, The Middle Anchor was born.

The addition of this middle school newspaper allows parents, teachers, and students to become more informed about the happenings at Gates. The student journalists cover mostly features articles with a scattering of news stories. On their website, www.themiddleanchor.net, readers can gather information about the middle school construction process and homework stress. They can also take polls about music and sports. Some of the most popular feature articles include personality profiles highlighting the new principal, Mr. Lynch, and the new assistant principal, Mr. Giacobozzi, written by eighth graders Erin Logan and Hannah Gilmore.

With success comes challenges, and this club has already overcome a few. As The Scituation staff writers know best, advertising can be a struggle. How do you get people to read your stories? According to Simpson, middle schoolers are not as present on social media outlets as high schoolers, so the Internet is not necessarily the most efficient way to get the word out about new article postings. Another obstacle The Middle Anchor writers have confronted involves building this club into their schedules. With busy lives and a lack of their own transportation, middle school students are finding it challenging to make time for a new club.

Despite these potential hang-ups, the new Gates online newspaper is thriving and receiving more views on their website than expected. Simpson said she hopes to make the school newspaper into a class one day, because “journalism is the epitome of project-based learning.” For now, the student journalists continue to write and publish articles during their time in the after school club.

To read The Middle Anchor articles, please visit www.themiddleanchor.net