FREDERICKTOWN — At Fredericktown High School, student journalists are snapping photos, interviewing fellow peers and crafting stories — part of a growing student media site called the Freddie Flash.
Freddie Flash, a student news site at Fredericktown High School, is operated by English teacher Carolyn Grimm.
The website went live Oct. 7.
Grimm said 15 students make up the Freddie Flash, adding there are zero preliminary requirements to join the publication.
Freddie Flash staff
- Head editor is Darren Hartley, junior;
- Editor, Lillian Shade, junior
- Editor, Antonio Rojas, junior
Head editor Darren Hartley said students aim to publish 10 stories a week, writing features on school life, sports, and student achievement.
The Freddie Flash is a venue for students and parents to have information on events that are happening soon at the high school, Grimm said.
The idea was sparked by high school principal Ryan Shoemaker, who was previously a biology teacher at Mount Vernon High School.
Mount Vernon High School has a student publication called the Jacket Journal.
Interest in the class has grown throughout the school year, Shoemaker said, judging from students adding the class to their schedules for the upcoming academic year.
When does the class meet?
The class has three periods attached to it: third, sixth and eighth.
The third period focuses on downloading, editing and organizing photos, Hartley said. Sixth period writes articles and works on long-term projects for the site. Eighth period also writes articles, conducts hallway interviews and makes graphics for the site.
Currently, Freddie Flash staff members are honing their spot news coverage and feature writing like descriptive storytelling.
Previously, Freddie Flash was a hard-cop,y 32-page paper before the coronavirus pandemic, Grimm said. It was canceled because of out-of-school learning.
Pre-COVID, Grimm said students published a print version of the Freddie Flash throughout the year with articles of student interest and student surveys.
“For instance, should upperclassmen have an open campus for lunch? Or ‘Clunker of the Month’ (worst vehicle in the parking lot — NOT teachers’ cars!)” Grimm said via email. “The issues throughout the year were usually 12 tabloid pages long.
“The senior (graduation) issue ran from 36 to 42 tabloid pages and tried to feature all the seniors in at least three articles. We’d print over 300 of these and always run out (distributed at graduation.) All were free.”
Grimm said interest continues to grow in the program, both in readership and participation.
“People love to read it,” Grimm said.