Chapel Hill Elementary School has a new student newspaper, and a fifth-grader is the reason it exists.
Fifth-grade student Ava Sims approached Junior Beta Club sponsor Ashley Moore and media specialist Cameron Sheldon with an idea that Chapel Hill students deserved their own publication. Students wanted one, just like the one parents receive from the school administration.
"Our parents have the Cheetah Chat from Principal Bianca Turner, and I would like to start a newspaper for students," said Sims, the school's Junior Beta Club president.
Sims’ idea led to The Paw Print, a 100% student-written and student-run newspaper. The newspaper provides young journalists full ownership of the stories that matter most to their peers. Since its debut, the club has published two full issues. The January edition and the February edition both featured an enthusiastic team of student writers driving every edition.
To make the paper accessible in today's digital classroom, Sheldon arranged for a dedicated app on the student portal, giving every student instant electronic access to the latest issue.
The Paw Print has quickly become a go-to source of news and information for the entire Chapel Hill community.