The Catholic Partnership Schools Healthy Courier staff tripled its size this year when St. Cecilia and Holy Name joined St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral in supporting a Core Reporter news team. Core Reporter teams produce the majority of articles and artwork for each Healthy NewsWorks school newspaper.
St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral launched the Healthy Courier during the 2021–22 school year. It was Healthy NewsWorks’ first initiative in New Jersey.
St. Cecilia and Holy Name school newspaper advisors said their students are gaining skills by working on the paper.
“I hope that the reporters will gain confidence in their writing as their skills improve,” said Ms. Jeanne Woerner, who leads the group of fifth-grade reporters at St. Cecilia. “Some of the reporters are very quiet and shy, and I already see them establishing a confident voice during the interviewing process.”
“I hope my reporters learn the value of clear, concise, and impactful communication,” said Dr. Deirdre Rood, who leads the group of seventh-grade reporters at Holy Name.
Dr. Rood said she hopes the newspaper project will teach students to work as a team and bring important information to the school community.
“I also hope they learn collaboration by working together as a team to meet deadlines and produce a cohesive publication,” she said. “Ultimately, I want both reporters and readers to experience how the written word can educate, empower, and build a stronger sense of community.”
The inclusion of St. Cecilia and Holy Name is part of Healthy NewsWorks’ goal to expand into more schools in South Jersey, made possible in part through the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Read the Fall 2024 issue of the Catholic Partnership Schools Healthy Courier and other recent Healthy NewsWorks school newspapers.
