Here is a little background on the Cunniff Kids News (as of August 2010):
WHO: The Cunniff Kids News.
WHAT: Student-reported and student-written online newspaper.
WHERE: Cunniff School, 246 Warren St., Watertown, Mass., 02472.
NEWSROOM: Cunniff library, open each Tuesday after school, from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
WHEN: Launched Dec, 2007.
WHY: To provide a interesting framework for students to improve their writing skills.
WEBSITE: http://teacherweb.com/MA/WatertownCunniffElementary/Newspaper/NewsFlash.stm
REPORTERS: Open to all Cunniff students, K through fifth grade. Nearly 100 students have been
trained as reporters in the last three years. Many reporters have participated for all three years; by
June 2010, some 30-35 reporters were in the newsroom each week.
DUES/FEES: $25 per student per year.
LESSONS: Students are taught principles of journalism, starting with the necessity of the Five W’s.
Other topics of instruction have included many facets of journalism and writing, including:
interviewing skills; writing for an audience; organization; description; quotes and paraphrasing;
leads; transitions; and fact-checking and attribution.
PUBLISHING: More than 170 stories have been published, generating more than 15,000 page views.
(Staff stories are also reprinted by the Watertown Tab.)
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Nearly 200 people have free subscriptions.
STORY SUBJECTS: The Cunniff Kids News reporters look for stories that are interesting to the people
in the Cunniff School community. The newspaper has many sections: Front Page News (important,
breaking news); Corridors and Classrooms (classroom and school activities); An Eye for News (photo
galleries on special events); Pleased to Meet You (profiles); The World Around Us (interesting
happenings outside of school); Fun and Games (sports and recreation); Read All About It! (book
reviews); An Interview With ... (in-depth interviews with one subject); May I Ask a Few Questions?
(press conferences); To the Cove and Beyond! (travel).
NOTEWORTHY: Reporters have reported many stories on location. Among those trips were visits to
Museum of Science (media day for the “Harry Potter” exhibit), Gillette Stadium; Museum of Fine Arts;
Ringling Brothers Circus; Boston Blazers lacrosse; Shubert Theater; Battle of Lexington and Concord;
Charlesbridge Publishing; Lowell Devils hockey; the Plumbing Museum; and three trips to the
construction site of the new Watertown Police Department. Interview subjects -- in and out of the
newsroom -- have included a who’s who of local and national names, including Olympic athletes
(Angela Hucles), authors (Mary Pope Osborne, Mary McDonald, Andrew Clements), comics (Frank
Santorelli), NFL stars (Len St. Jean, John Hannah), rock bands (Smoosh, Harry and the Potters) and
actors (Debbie Ryan, Henry Winkler, and Emily Osment).
ADVISOR: John Vitti, Cunniff parent
NEWSPAPER EMAIL: cunniffnews@hotmail.com
