SCHOOL NEWSPAPER CAMPAIGN Challenge: Student Participation By: Yu Qiong He & Tenzin Choeyang

Forming an Action Team Purpose of Action Team: ● To bridge student and staff leadership group. Action Team Members: ● Consists of Students and Teachers ● Students: 15 Students (7 ninth/tenth grade, 3 Juniors, 5 Seniors) ● Student Government: 5 Members ● Teachers: (1 SVC Liaison, 1 Student Government Teacher) ● Administration: Principal Action Team Meetings: ● Met once a month ● Discussed the SVC Program ● Discussed the school review ● Discussed the need for greater participation in after school activities ● Discussed ideas how to reach more students ● Discussed how to reach students who don’t speak English ● Reviewed and revised action plan together ● Created and distributed surveys -- analyzed feedback together

Challenge Identification of Challenge: ● SVC students analyzed the School Progress Reports and shared the results to the Student Government and Action Team. Together we determined that the school’s score was low in “Engagement” ● Their suggestion was to focus at after school participation rate and do the survey to test the reaction from student body. ● The NYC school progress report (2012): Grade B ● Engagement Score 8.1 out of 10, while the other elements were above 8.5 Conclusion: After school activities need more student participation PURPOSE: To make students more engaged by increase Participation. To create a greater sense of community within the student body. Which will increase the rate of student participation in after school activities. Which will help develop student’s personal strength and preparation for college.

Student Voice School Review Purpose of SVSR: ● Learn about the school and the school system ● Gain a deeper understanding and to focus on the challenge ● Make connection between the challenge and element of student voice Elements: ● Community building - feeling of belonging make student more zealous to participate ● Relationship development - inspire friendships and willingness participate ● Engagement - make student willing to participate by various opportunities that we have in our school Method: Data Collection Activities ● Survey of Students with Student Government ● Interview with Principal

Student Voice School Review ● Survey Results: Based on the survey we took from half of school, students want more sport clubs in order to engage them participate in after school activity Conclusions: 1.Students had many interests 2.Students were not aware of the many sports and dance activities the school had.

Action Plan Goal: We the member of SVC, in order to form a communicational and compatible educational environment, do ordain and establish this newspaper for the FIHS. Reason: ● Newspaper spread out the information of after school activities to get more students interested in joining. ● Newspaper reflect the student concerns and issues in school. ● Newspaper sharing the stories and make connection to each other. ● Newspaper would be a club that allowed many students with different skills to work together.

Broadcast Method: ● Sharing findings with both action team and student government members. ● Collect feedback & get support by meeting (Exhibit: meeting notes) ● Communicate with to make sure everything goes on track ● Post flyers for the newspaper on each classroom and bulletin board to recruit members for newspaper club Action Team Suggestions for Newspaper Content: ● Native language articles ● Student interviews ● Creative works from students ● Summer jobs and programs ● Joke & comic book

Action Plan Process Launching: ● Plan SVSR: (Dec 20, 2013) ● Reviewed and Analyzed School Reports: (October 30, 2014 ● Selected challenge base on SVSR: (Nov 6, 2013) ● Set up Action Team: (Nov 13, 2013) ● Conducted survey of the students: (Nov 13, 2013) ● Analyzed survey results: (Jan 16, 2013) Orbiting: ● Broadcast & flyer: (Feb 24, 2014) ● Form a newspaper club: (Feb 27, 2014) ● Make schedule for weekly meeting: (March 3, 2014) ● Distribute job and content planning: (March 17, 2014) ● Make deadline and gathering information: (April 23, 2014) ● Print Newspaper: (May 21, 2014) ● Distribute Newspaper & take Student Survey (May 28, 2014)

Action Plan - Newspaper Club Newspaper Club Meetings: ● Meet every Tuesday and Thursday to talk about the role of members, content of newspaper, and edit works and keep the work going until we accomplish it. Roles: ● Students - came up with article ideas, researched the articles, wrote the articles, took pictures, and helped edit the articles. ● Teachers - organized meetings, edit articles, provide support, and create the layout of the newspaper.

Outcomes Participation in the Newspaper Club Diverse Membership: ● 4 Seniors, ● 8 Juniors, ● 4 Sophomores, ● 2 Freshman ● 3 Teachers

Outcomes Answer from 9,10,11th grade students Learned about new clubs after reading newspaper Want to join a club after reading newspaper Want to Join the Newspaper Club next year Yes No SURVEY RESULTS OF 97 STUDENTS AFTER READING THE NEWSPAPER Conclusion: Students were positively affected by the newspaper to participate more in clubs.

Reflection On the SVC Year Long Program ● Development on interpersonal skills and create strong network. ● Realized the school and school system about decision making. ● Deeper understanding on how the DOE works. ● We should stand out to make students more right in society. On our Action Plan: School Newspaper ● It is impossible to make work out if only put effort at last second. ● Need to foster student interest and know their desire can help us tackle our challenge. ● Students generate the best content ideas for our future school newspaper. ● Get more students to join newspaper club, so it will be easier/faster to finish newspaper

Next Steps Our Next Steps ● Analyze survey results further to add student suggestions to newspaper ● Start school newspaper at the beginning of the school year and publish newspaper every one or two months ● Plan to put many student opinion into the newspaper. ● Let the students be responsible for what they do. ● Add more interesting fact and stories that happens in the school.