Meet the Awesome Students Behind the School Newspaper at Galileo Scholastic Academy

The Constellation is the name of the school newspaper at Galileo Scholastic Academy, a fitting title for a school named after an astronomer. And the students behind The Constellation are superstars as well, working together to keep their school community informed about the latest news. 

We had the amazing opportunity to connect with five of the writers and editors who bring the newspaper to life. Read more below to learn how being a part of this extracurricular activity has been such an enriching experience for each of them. 

From left to right in the photo above: Ilana, Mamadou, Florence, Mica, and Teresa. 

Why was this something you wanted to pursue as an extracurricular activity? 

Mica: I wanted to join the newspaper because I enjoy writing. I thought being able to write about new topics in my free time was a good idea, because I could practice on how to write better. 

Florence: I’ve always liked to write, so, when I found out our school was making a newspaper, I joined it. Now I’ve gotten to become an editor, which is really cool. 

Mamadou: My friend and I love reading and studying history. This is giving me a chance to write about what I love. 

Teresa: I joined because I like to write about new topics, just like Florence and Mica. 

Ilana: I enjoy writing, and this is such a fun experience because I get to do it with friends and write about topics that I enjoy. Then, I get to share my writing with the school. 

Has this experience been what you expected, or has it been more unexpected? 

Mica: I didn’t really know what to expect because not a lot of my friends were in after-school programs. When I joined, I was happy because I got to become an editor and learn a lot of new stuff. It has been a great experience. 

Florence: I joined when it first got started, and I think it’s definitely improved with its production and because of all the people who have joined since. I didn’t know what to expect either because I was writing for it when it was first created. 

Mamadou: I joined in the middle of the semester, so I wasn’t too familiar with it, but now I feel like I understand it better. 

Teresa: Last year, I joined, and I didn’t know what to expect. It turned out well, so I re-joined, and I felt like I knew what to expect more this year. 

Ilana: This was my first year doing this. I knew that some of my friends had done it in the past, but I was still a little nervous to join. It has been so much fun, like nothing I could have expected, and I would love to do it again next year. 

What is one thing you’ve accomplished related to the newspaper? 

Florence: Being an editor has helped me become a better writer and also get better with grammar and punctuation. 

Mica: I think it’s helped me with being patient, because sometimes you have to explain yourself more than once before people fully understand what you’re saying. 

Mamadou: My friend and I created a lot of articles about different countries. It was hard to pick out good information because some of our sources were updated daily, so we had to stay up-to-date with them. 

Teresa: I think I’ve improved at coming up with ideas to build on what I am writing, and my grammar and punctuation have improved, too. 

Ilana: I think I’ve become more social because I get to work with my friends on my articles, and I’ve also gotten to interview our staff and other students for them. 

If one of your friends or peers mentioned to you that they want to pursue journalism like you do, what advice would you give them? 

Mica: Make sure that you write about something that you are interested in, because that will help you gain more knowledge about that topic. Also, your article will be better overall because you’ll have more fun writing it. 

Florence: Take your time when writing your articles because that will help you avoid silly mistakes, which will also save your editor time since they won’t have to make as many corrections. 

Mamadou: Try to submit your article on time, even when it’s a struggle. 

Teresa: Take the time to really think about what you’re going to write. 

Ilana: Make sure to have fun, because this is a great experience to be with your friends and also get to try something new. 

What is your message to the peers you have collaborated with to make a great newspaper? 

Florence: I hope that they continue making the newspaper better and better. 

Mica: I think it’s important that we keep communicating with each other and know what everyone is working on. That will help us make sure we have a good variety of articles. 

Mamadou: I agree!

Teresa: Keep having fun, keep enjoying what you are writing about, and keep trying to improve. 

Ilana: Keep doing what you are doing because everyone is doing an amazing job. It is so fun to read all of the articles once the newspaper is finished.