In the Spring of 2015, an aspiring Student Council representative told her peers that she believed the students of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School should have a voice in the school’s newsletter and on the website. Mia F. wanted to tell the stories of her generation in her own words – whether it was how kids were raising awareness about environmental issues, giving back to the community, or simply enjoying an ice cream social. Her campaign platform caught the attention of St. Francis’ recently appointed Communications Coordinator, and soon after, the WOLF News Student Journalism Program was born.
Founded on the belief that student-centered learning builds critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, WOLF News provides a platform for students to write and report original news stories with a youth perspective on important issues.
“The goal of the WOLF News program at St. Francis is to develop the next generation of media professionals by providing instruction on how to research and write journalistic style news stories and then present those stories in a student produced weekly broadcast,” says WOLF News Advisor and St. Francis Communications Coordinator, Allison Clewett.
The program is now in its second year. Young Mia F. has taken on the role of Editor, leading her peers in the WOLF News Reporter Corps. Joining her are five middle school students with a passion for writing and a love for their school community. Their stories will focus on education and technology, explore how our faith impact students, teachers, parents, and the community, and shine a light on events and activities at St. Francis. Read more about the reporters below.
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Editor, Mia F. is an eighth grader who has attended St. Francis since Kindergarten. Besides her schoolwork, family, and friends, soccer is a huge priority in her life. She has played the sport competitively for 10 years. Currently she represents the OC Legends Soccer Club out of Irvine, CA. When Mia grows up she would like to be an architect or a professional soccer player. Her favorite genre of books is fantasy and she admires J.K. Rowling as an author. Out of all the activities at St. Francis she thinks Tricks, Treats, and Tacos is the most fun because there is great music, food, trick-or-treating, and you get to wear your costume. Mia is looking forward to covering stories on our parishes and local community this year while supporting the other WOLF News Journalists as they spread their writing wings. |
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Michael C. is an 8th grader who is the oldest child of an all boys family. One thing that sets him apart from his siblings is that he prefers school over sports. He has participated on SFA’s Academic Decathlon team and has a diverse range of extracurricular interests including video games and Boy Scouts. Blessing of the Animals is his favorite event at St. Francis because he enjoys seeing all the families with their pets. He is no stranger to facing his fears. Michael says the bravest thing he has ever done is rescue a group of children from a capsized sailboat. He has also put his hand in a tank that housed a huge, sharp-toothed fish! He is excited to take on a wide variety of topics as a Student Journalist at St. Francis. |
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Maya D. is an eighth grader at St. Francis who likes to show her personality through her fashion and decorating choices. She displays Christmas lights all year round in her bedroom and says if she was creating a video about herself it would be hand drawn in a stop motion style. Some of her greatest accomplishments include a solid A in math and earning the Academic Excellence Award twice at St. Francis. Although she considers herself someone who is reserved and reluctant to show her emotions, Maya can’t wait to share her thoughts on the people and events of St. Francis as a Student Reporter this year. |
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Emily E. is a quiet seventh grade student at St. Francis who loves stepping on campus on the first day of school because she gets to meet her new teacher and reconnect with her classmates. Emily says that one thing that makes her stand apart from her friends is that she doesn’t have a phone (gasp!). She has a gift for music, and is an accomplished pianist who has garnered awards for her talent. This Summer she pushed herself out of her comfort zone when she interviewed her piano teacher as part of her WOLF News homework. Emily is looking forward to continuing to challenge herself as a reporter conducting interviews and researching current events at St. Francis this school year. |
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Jake M. is an outgoing seventh grader who enjoys spending time with his friends. He has represented St. Francis as a member of the Academic Decathlon team, and earned a ribbon in the science category last year. Jake also has a strong interest in technology and a fondness for animals. His family includes two dogs, three cats, and a horse. Jake’s favorite activity at St. Francis is the Spring Spirit Rally because he loves the sights and sounds of all the upper graders showing their school spirit by loudly cheering for their grade, wearing bright class colors, and playing silly games. Jake can’t wait to hone his writing and research skills as a Student Reporter while profiling prominent figures and shining a light on current trends. |
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Isabella W. is an enthusiastic 8th grader at St. Francis who loves to tumble. She “flips” for school activities. The event she looks forward to most each year is Tricks, Treats, and Tacos. She enjoys seeing students in their creative costumes, dancing in the courtyard, and gathering free candy. “Izzy,” as her friends call her, lives life with a joyful heart and her eyes wide open…even when she is sleeping! Reporting school news is nothing new to this student, as she was a part of last year’s inaugural WOLF News Broadcast Team that shared weekly announcements in a school-wide news show and visited the EWTN studio at Christ Cathedral to shadow a professional staff of news producers and reporters. This year she is looking forward to adding the title of writer to her resume and using her words to bring her community together. |