Three 2011 yearbooks from the Shawnee Mission School District have been named finalists in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Pacemaker competition. Books from East, North and Northwest all will be up for scholastic journalism’s highest honor in April at the NSPA national convention in Seattle. The three yearbooks were among…...
New weather policy has best interests of student journalists in mind
By Jill Chittum, KSPA President After years of kicking around the idea, and multiple meetings where member concerns dealing with the regional contest weather policy were addressed, the KSPA executive board passed a new inclement weather policy following its December meeting in Wichita. The goal of the new policy (which…...
Kansas reaps awards at JEA/NSPA convention
By Claire McInerny The National Scholastic Press Association and the Journalism Educators Association hosted their annual fall convention in Minneapolis this weekend. Kansas high school journalists accounted for many of the winners in both the NSPA carry-in contests and the JEA on-site competitions. Andrew Goble and Kat Buchanan of Shawnee…...
Motivation without conflict, Part I
By Travis Feil KSPA President-Elect After the fall conferences this past week, I’ve been contacted by several students and advisers across the state with some meaningful questions about staff relationships, leadership and dealing with problems that arise during production cycles. We’ve all had to deal with these types of concerns…...
2011 JEA award winners announced
The Journalism Education Association has named its fall 2011 award winners. They will be honored Nov. 19 at the fall JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Minneapolis. Amy DeVault and Derius Mammen are both honored in the Friends of Scholastic Journalism category. DeVault is an instructor of digital media…...
Kansas schools win Pacemaker finalist recognition
The National Scholastic Press Association announced the 2011 NSPA Newspaper Pacemaker finalists today and three Kansas high schools are finalists. NSPA received 325 entries in the Pacemaker contest. Newspapers were judged on the following criteria: coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of…...
Kansas students win NSPA awards
The National Scholastic Press Association announced the winners of its 2011 Individual Awards today, which include stories from ?? Kansas high school students. 6 Kansas journalists are finalists or won honorable mentions in the Story of the Year competition. Andrew Goble, a graduate of Shawnee Mission East, is one of…...
You can lead a student to journalism class, but can you make him like it?
By Travis Feil, KSPA President-Elect A Common Problem My basic journalism course is offered opposite band and choir – both very popular courses in my district. My J1 desks, consequently, have traditionally been populated by students more interested in avoiding music than embracing journalism. They confess it, and I’m fine…...
Yet another reason every student should enroll in journalism
By Travis Feil KSPA President-Elect Last week I was sitting at my desk working on American Literature lesson plans. Exhausted and overwhelmed from moving into a new classroom, I sat staring at my computer, knowing students would be arriving for the first time the next day. My yearbook editors were…...
KSPA President: Membership pays dividends
Dear Kansas journalism advisers, Welcome back for yet another year of scholastic journalism excellence! At this time of year, most of us are just getting our teaching “sea legs” under us again after what I hope was a relaxing and restful summer vacation. That re-acclimation process takes time (which we…...