Park Ave. Elementary’s Paw Print staff visits The Warwick Advertiser

On Thursday, February 29, 12 members of Park Avenue Elementary’s Paw Print newspaper staff took a field trip to The Warwick Advertiser’s office in Chester for an inside look at how the paper is created each week. The attendees included 10 students from the school’s third and fourth grade, as well as teachers Krystie Gilmore and Ashley McPherson, who act as the editor in chief and senior editor, respectively, of The Paw Print. Together the group learned about the editing process, the layout process, and how the newspaper goes from a digital PDF to a printed newspaper delivered to thousands of people in the Warwick community.

The students asked about the roles each Advertiser staff member plays in crafting the paper — from the freelance reporter who chases down the story, to the editing process, all the way to design. They also questioned how advertising works and watched in awe as Christina Scotti, the Advertiser’s director of design, demonstrated the technology used to create the paper.

Once the kids ran out of questions, the Advertiser staff asked their own to get a sense of student life in 2024. A prime topic of debate was the school lunch. Paw Print junior editor Ethan said he loved the pizza bagels, but felt the square pizza tasted like “wet cardboard.” Indeed, the cafeteria pizza received mixed reviews from The Paw Print’s staff, though they did agree that it had improved from previous iterations. Other favorites were macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs.

The students were asked what they loved and hated most about school. Nearly everyone said they loved working for The Paw Print, with several of the third-graders saying they planned to join the journalism club again next year. Ethan noted that being a Paw Print staffer requires focus, while June and Charley discussed the intricate planning that goes into writing for the paper. But math and science were the most hated parts of school, particularly fractions and the dreaded two-step word problems. McPherson provided the following example: “Mila bought a five-pack of markers with three markers in each, and then she gives four markers away. How many markers does Mila have left?”

When asked what they like about living in Warwick, they expressed appreciation for how quiet and peaceful the area is. Reporter Ryan enjoys living in a neighborhood with friends, while photographer Addy said she likes how nice the town is. Mila and Charley enjoy the many activities in the area, and the various shops and restaurants in the village. June said she likes how friendly everyone is and how everyone seems to know each other. While junior editor Patrick said he loves the views. All of the students had high praise for the area’s parks, including sledding at Stanley Deming Park.

The students were also asked what they wished grownups knew about being a kid today. They were quick to explain that video games won’t, in fact, ruin their brains, that they don’t need to go outside instead of playing them, and that some online games cannot be paused to do the dishes! Some felt their parents were too restrictive about sleepovers and the recreational activities they were allowed to do (though McPherson did try to explain that their parents were just trying to keep them safe). June also said that parents don’t understand how difficult school can be, and that kids today are not taught in the same way that their parents were. This frustration was echoed by a couple other students who lamented that their parents couldn’t always help them with math, for example, because of the different teaching methods used today.

Several Paw Print staffers also had story suggestions for the Advertiser. They asked this reporter to cover more kids’ sports — like the soccer club and flag football, the many recreational activities and facilities in town, and just more animal stories in general. Patrick also brought up the complicated and sometimes frustrating aspects of state testing, which is slated to begin in April. Is it worth opting to take these tests? Or should kids ask their parents to opt out? Those are definitely questions worth asking, and a topic that might be covered in a future issue of the Advertiser. Stay tuned!