Summer 2012
Dear Advanced Journalism Students,
I am so excited to have you join the AJNP staff this fall, and I hope you will find this summer’s project an interesting way to
get ready for next year. As you know, newspaper readership is falling fast, and we need to do everything in our power to
guarantee fresh stories and engaging designs. To help with this, you must be reading newspapers and magazines on a
regular, if not daily basis; if you are not reading regularly, you are not being a journalist. When you read the paper, you
should be thinking of how you could adapt stories or designs for Bear Facts. This summer’s project will help you do just
that.
This summer you will write an article – perhaps inspired by something you read in a daily paper or perhaps covering a
newsworthy event at school or in town – that we will use for our first issue of the year or be able to keep on file for use
throughout the semester.
Summer Project – Write an Article:
You may write for any section you choose, although I encourage you to write for “your” section just for practice.
The article should capture a newsworthy subject that readers need to know about or a fun and entertaining subject
that readers will want to know about.
Please follow these important steps and deadlines to guarantee good results and a successful grade.
1. Choose your story idea – due June 15. When you have your story idea, log into your Gmail account and add
your idea to the shared Google Document.
 You will be able to see what everyone else has chosen to write about, so do not duplicate articles or
topics. Likewise, everyone can see what you’ve chosen, so check the document often to see if anyone’s
posted any suggestions on how to improve your story or provided sources for you to use!
 Provide enough detail that everyone knows exactly what you hope to cover in your story. Follow the
sample provided in the Google Doc or ask Wagner if you have questions.
 Contact your editor, the EIC, or the ME to discuss your planned article and “brainstorm” angles and
sources if you’re unsure how to begin.
2. Email your story idea to your editor and the EIC just to be sure they see your story plan and can give you any
pointers before you begin. Even though you have logged this on the Google Doc, please copy your entry and
email it directly to the editors to be sure they see it.
3. Contact sources and set up interviews. Conduct live, person-to-person interviews. Please do not merely email/
facebook/ IM/ text your sources; remember what you have learned about having conversations. Because it may
be hard to contact teachers or coaches during the summer, you may contact them via email to introduce yourself
and set up a time to conduct the interview. If necessary, you may do phone interviews. Please use integrity and
common sense – use live, qualified sources and have quality conversations!
4. Write and upload your D1 – due July 15. When you complete D1, upload it to your Google Docs and make sure
to share it with your editor, the ME, the EIC, and Wagner. If you do not share the document, we cannot see it or
give you crucial feedback and revision input. Your section editor will provide feedback on your D1 by July 22.
5. Revise and upload your D2 – due July 30. Upload your D2 to Google Docs and make sure to share it with your
editor, the ME, the EIC, and Wagner. The ME and EIC will provide feedback on your D2 by August 6.
6. Revise, revise, revise. You have the rest of the summer to revise your article and get it ‘publication ready.’
Please have an editor read your article a third time if you feel you need the feedback.
7. Bring your final, revised, polished article to BTS – August 20*. Bring a digital copy of the article and a hard
copy of your article. Attach the appropriate rubric and turn in at the start of BTS. Your article will be graded
during BTS and will be returned to you for final revisions before it can run in Bear Facts.
*Editors: Your articles are due on August 17, during your BTS preparation meeting.
Also: Please take photos to accompany your story! (Remember, you need a minimum of 50 photographs for any
photo assignment. Talk to your section editor, the EIC, the ME, or Wagner if you need ideas for what to photograph.)
Remember, you must complete this project and hit the assigned deadlines. Failure to do so will result in a zero for
your first assignment of the year and will jeopardize your continuation in AJ this fall. As you know, articles and the
accompanying drafts / deadlines are worth significant points; the summer project is no exception. Typically the summer
project is worth 150 points.
Also, please don’t forget to note the following mandatory dates. We will be meeting as a partial or whole staff at these
times. Please check your email throughout the summer for further information.
August 17 (10am – 3pm) – planning meeting for Back To School workshop – editors only
August 20 & 21 (10am* – 3pm) – Back To School workshops – full staff (*editors, please meet at 9am)
One additional note: Mrs. Stanton and Mrs. Boyas, yearbook advisers, and I hope to take the publication staffs to San
Antonio for the national convention this fall (November 15-18). We will announce more information regarding participation
and exact costs when classes resume this fall, however, similar trips have cost about $550-700, in case you want to begin
saving. Each staff is limited to 7 participants, and we will discuss the requirements once the staff is together again in the
fall.
If you have any questions or concerns about your summer project, feel free to contact me. I will check email regularly this
summer, or you can call/ text me if you feel comfortable. You can also contact your section editor, your Editor-in-Chief,
Angelica LaVito, or your Managing Editor, Renee Griffin.
I hope you enjoy this preparation for your AJNP experience and you have a wonderful and safe summer!
Sincerely,
Ms. Wagner
carolyn.wagner@lz95.org