George Luck Room 13 Highlights from the Week

Connected, Contributing and Caring Citizens 

from Gr 4 Room 13 George Luck at EJ School

Merissa Feraco-Batiuk and Room 13 students

First Day

Enjoying learning about changes in communication
 and radio broadcasting at CKUA Studio.

One of the highlights of our wonderful Edmonton Journal School week was visiting the CKUA radio studio!  We really enjoyed it! It was neat to meet Tony King and go on air with him. We learned that there have been many changes that have taken place in the radio broadcasting industry and in music radio. It was interesting to see an old record, record player, cassette and CD. Some of our parents heard us live on CKUA! We have learned that the past helps shape our future. CKUA is a fantastic place to learn!

Memorable afternoon of learning at CBC Studios
 in downtown Edmonton

We also enjoyed visiting the CBC Studio downtown! Chris gave our class a tour and we were able to see different types of cameras, televisions, microphones and screens. We learned that programs are also created in French at CBC. Did you know that CBC broadcasts hockey and other sports in French? There have been many changes with technology at CBC.  It would be very interesting to work at CBC and broadcast the news!

Students learned about entrepreneurship and
made many great connections when interviewing
special guests from Capital Ideas

Our Grade 4 class enjoyed the entrepreneurship activity! We enjoyed interviewing the different entrepreneurs. It was neat to learn that an entrepreneur is someone who does what he is passionate about. All of the people we interviewed made a difference in their community! It was memorable interviewing people like Lori because they each had an inspiring story.

Our Grade 4 class thought the Fly On The Wall interview activity was a lot of fun! It was so interesting to interview people at the Edmonton Journal and find out what a photojournalist, editor and journalist does. We learned a lot about different careers at Edmonton Journal School. We enjoyed working in groups and asking really great interview questions! Grade 4, Room 13 thought it was pretty special to meet so many interesting people at the Edmonton Journal!

Our special week of learning was fun, interesting, meaningful and memorable! Room 13 loved EJ School!

Grade 4 students in Mrs. Feraco-Batiuk’s class at George Luck School enjoyed interviewing many different people at the Edmonton Journal and members in our community. The Fly On The Wall activity was a lot of fun.

Coronation Students Become Journalists for a Week

The Grade 5/6 Students Collaborate, Investigate, Communicate!

Amy Peter and the Grade 5/6 Class

Stomp, stomp was the sound of 23 eager student journalists as they climbed the giant 87 step staircase to their destination at Edmonton Journal School. With a pencil in hand and a journal by their side, they prepared for a journey of investigation, inquiry, and collaboration.

Sandy VanRiper, facilitator of EJ School, set up and organized themes, people and places for the Coronation students to connect to. Their week of learning and adventure was ready to go.

Day One involved meeting photojournalist, Ed Kaiser. Students had the opportunity to ask engaging, thoughtful, “FAT”questions.  After interviewing him, they found out he considers photojournalism to be, “one of the best jobs in the world!” They learned about front page articles, also known as A1.

Maxine, Oneia and Malina put on white gloves to handle

 the delicate pages of the 100 year old Edmonton Journal. 

Students also studied how the Edmonton Journal has changed over the years including mastheads, staff changes, the building’s architecture, the printing process, printing location and more.

Day Two, the student journalists put their new skills to the test. They became flies on the wall and took in the lay of the land. Next came the amazing questions. Ms. VanRiper assigned groups to interview Edmonton Journal staff: columnists Tristin Hopper and Paula Simons, capital ideas staff Sam Brooks and Jeff Samsonow, Anna Posteraro from marketing, reporter Matt Dykstra, and crime reporter Otiena Ellwand. The students learned how to be reporters and learned more about the Edmonton Journal company.

At CKUA radio station a group of Grade 5/6 students 

learn how to read scripts on radio and the technology

 behind it from radio host, Marketing Mark. 

Visiting radio station CKUA was a highlight in the week! Students met radio hosts Grant Stovel, Marketing Mark, and Tony King. With an opportunity to conduct a Press Conference, students learned about the life of a morning radio host and encouraged students to “follow your dreams”.  Grade 5 student Ethan Short states, “It was very cool and interesting. I learned that it took half of a second for the broadcast to send to the satellite and have the signal returned live on air. ”Touring the radio station was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Grade 6 student Maan Vadgama.  The Press Conference became a pep talk for the students explaining how to encourage your dreams and try hard.

Joel, Salix and Maan use microfilm

 at the Stanley Milner Library to 

read old newspapers from 1965. 

Day Three began with a tour of the Stanley Milner Public Library in downtown Edmonton. The grade 5/6 students explored the library and saw the Makerspace, an area of new technology with robotics, a 3D printer, and more. They also used the microfilm, and learned how past articles are preserved and searchable. The astonishing library had numerous areas of books, artwork, a model ship, and more. During the tour, they met two important people. The Edmonton Public Library Writer-in-residence, Wayne Arthurson, answered their questions about his job, writing novels, publishing books, and how to become better writers. A short interview with librarian Angie Mills taught the students more about features the library has for the public, like internet access and more. It was a great learning experience about literacy.  Wayne said it best, “You don’t have to worry about it being perfect, because you can go back and fix it later.”

Coronation students interview software
developer and entrepreneur Mack Male 

Wednesday afternoon the students met with Edmonton entrepreneurs. They worked in small groups to ask interesting and engaging questions about what it means to be an entrepreneur. Mack, a software developer, gave great advice to any future business owners to “under promise and over deliver.” Students learned that entrepreneurs are someone that helps other people in the business field.

Thursday, Day Four, took them around downtown Edmonton once again. This time, they went to City Hall and had a very informative tour by Linda Hut. The highlight on Ms. Hut’s tour was seeing Council Chambers, where all of the important decisions are made for the city. They loved seeing the hidden room at the back. Ms. Hut told the students, “Three things the city council does for us: listen, learn and decide”, important skills for everyone.

The Grade 5/6 Class learns how the City Council

 makes important decisions in the Council Chambers

 on February 11, 2016. 

On the final day of Edmonton Journal School, the student journalists had one more complete practice at interviewing. Students met the Editor, Columnists, Advertisement Manager and Senior Producer.  The interviews were intriguing, teaching students how the Edmonton Journal is created. They also learned how newspapers are struggling in a world of easy access to technology. Lastly, the Grade 5/6 studied the political cartoonist Malcolm Mayes.

What a journey, what a week! You may have heard the students stomping down the stairs, but it wasn’t in excitement, it was a sad moment to say goodbye. They will forever remember this amazing inquiry opportunity.

Greenfield Students Are ‘Going Places’ With Their Edmonton Journal!

Interview Guests for Defining Entrepreneur

We had an exciting and inspiring week at the Edmonton Journal. In this article we describe a few of our ‘Top Things’ of the week!

Discovering The Old Linotype Machine

When we saw the linotype we learned that you would press keys on the linotype to engrave the news in metal. Then they put ink on the metal and put the paper on the metal and there you have one newspaper. The newspaper used to only be eight pages long. Before they had linotype you would have to set every letter one by one. We were able to put our notebook over the metal and then draw on the paper and there would be the words, but sadly it was backwards so we couldn't make anything out. The linotype was created in 1884! We really enjoyed doing this because we learned how the newspaper was made long ago. We also think it was cool that the design of the machine was 132 years old.

 

Enjoying Colour Comics

Interview And Inspiration With Photographer Ryan Jackson

Ryan Jackson is a photojournalist at the Edmonton Journal. He has been a photographer for 10 years and takes about 100 to 1000 photos per week. He says the best pictures are often backstage. He also says that to be a good photographer you need to have creative angles in your pictures.

Ryan Jackson asks the people he meets to do some cool poses. Sometimes he says that it takes 10 to 20 times to make the photo perfect or good enough.

Ryan Jackson always tells himself,  “Bring back pictures not excuses!” so he doesn't give up. He was an engineering major but when he volunteered for his school newspaper, his friends told him he should do that instead and eventually he changed.    

It was really fun to see Ryan Jackson because it was really inspiring to see all his photos and hear his stories. 

Outside CKUA

Visit To CKUA Radio

From the Edmonton Journal we walked to CKUA radio. They have more than 60,000 CDs. It was amazing!  As we walked through the building we met Tony King and went on air! We went to a press conference near the end of our tour where we met David Ward. Our classmates had a lot of good questions for David Ward. He believed that the most exciting thing that happened when he was at CKUA was when the station went off air. It was a nerve racking time for David.

Interviewing CKUA host, David Ward

David started with CKUA in April 1982 with a part-time position in the library.  We discovered that CKUA is different from most radio stations. The DJs get to pick their own songs and CKUA does not always play today’s “top hits”.  This visit was one of our top things because we went on air and met David Ward!

Riding the LRT

The Stanley Milner Library Has Technology Of The Past And The Future!

EPL won the ‘Library Of  The Year Award’ in 2014. The EPL Makerspace at the Stanley Milner Library includes a 3D printer, a book printing machine, sound booths, and a filming set!

Viewing Rogers Place construction

We looked at microfiche with articles from 1900 and some recent French newspapers. We also looked at art maquettes like The Fruit Bowl and The Blue Mountains.

The Makerspace has an Espresso Book Machine that would let you publish your own book. There was another part of the Makerspace with a green screen so if you needed to film something you could. The sound booth is a place where people come to record music anytime they want.

At the library we saw 6 different paintings. They spelled ARTIST. We liked them because of the symbols on each painting.

We liked the Stanley Milner Library because that particular library had a lot to offer like the microfiche/microfilm space.

“Unbelievable time at EJ School!” says Grade 5C from MWI

5C from Monsignor William Irwin take a group photo with the Pulitzer Prize on their first day of EJ School

“My pictures tell stories” Greg Southam told grade 5 students from Monsignor William Irwin School on their first day of Edmonton Journal (EJ) School. From November 2nd to November 6th we interviewed many people and went to amazing places like the Marian Center, Rogers Place, and CKUA radio station. Our time at EJ School was unique and an exciting opportunity to travel in downtown Edmonton.

Anthony King is a producer and announcer at CKUA radio station. We interviewed him in a press conference on Tuesday, November 3, 2015. Before he wanted to be a radio announcer he wanted to be a musician or an animal trainer in Hollywood! CKUA is special because the announcers get to choose their own music. We loved recording our station ids with Marketing Mark! He told us that our voices would not sound the same as they did talking to a friend and “it was pretty amazing how different they actually sounded!” commented Chayce and Noah. It was very interesting to see how radio stations work and see the library with over 65,000 CDs! Another place we visited was the Marian Center.

Janet and David tell stories at the Marian Centre.

When we walked through the Marian Center there was a delicious smell of stew. “Love makes it good” said Janet, one of two volunteers we met. Along with her was David, another generous volunteer who lives at the Marian Center. They work towards the mission of the center to help Christopher’s and follow God. A Christopher is someone who does not have a home and faces problems in their life. They come to the Marian Center for a healthy meal, clean clothes, and a safe place to spend time. Janet taught us that the biggest problem Christopher’s face is loneliness. When they visit the Marian Center they experience love and friendship. David hung up an Oilers’ hockey flag to create discussions because “it`s more fun than talking about the weather.” Janet told us that “Jesus hears you talk to them and will guide them to the right path.”

Interviewing Diego from EPL at the Stanley Milner Library.

Brasil, Robyn, Ethan, Paul, and Annika pose with crime reporter Jana Pruden during an interview.

Interviewing people for Fly on the Wall was really exciting. While being a fly on the wall we collected information about someone’s job and got the lay of the land. One of the most interesting people we interviewed was Margo Goodhand. When she was about ten years old she wanted to write about the war in Vietnam, and now she is the Editor in Chief at the Edmonton Journal! The editor in chief is responsible for the whole newspaper. Another exciting person we met was Tristan Hopper. He is a reporter for the National Post. He is a general researcher who rides his bike to work every day, even in winter! We also interviewed Chris Zdeb who works in the “Day in History” section of the Journal. Once she interviewed RCMP officers who were on a stakeout waiting for an expected robbery. Someone else who has experience with crime reporting is Jana Pruden. She is the Crime Bureau Chief. The most exciting she ever covered was when she went to interview someone involved in a big shooting. She got scared by a dog and slipped backwards and got her thumb caught in her SUV door. She continued with her interview, even though her thumb was broken and her notebook was covered in blood! It was an authentic reporting experience being flies on the wall of many amazing people!

5C takes a group photo with entrepreneurs.

At EJ School we learned about different types of media. We got to be reporters and ask many questions of entrepreneurs and journalists. At the Marian Centre we learned about the Christopher`s and heard fantastic stories from Janet and David. When we went to CKUA it was really cool to make our own station ID. It was a very educational and unforgettable week.

5C taking a photo with the giant downtown Edmonton  “E” in Churchill Square

Riverbend 7-7 & 7-8: Two halves make one week

7-8
In September of 2015, our class, 7-8, from Riverbend Junior High School received the privilege to attend Edmonton Journal School. While there, we learned about several topics such as entrepreneurs, the Edmonton Journal, Downtown Edmonton and lots more!

On day one of Edmonton Journal School, we got a tour of downtown. Ms. VanRiper took us across parts of Edmonton to see all of the really cool historical places and monuments. The first place we were taken to was the McDougall Methodist Mission Church, which is  extremely old and needs millions of dollars worth of repairs. Next, we went to the place where the Thistle Rink used to be. Unfortunately, the Thistle Rink burned down in 1913 with a flash of explosions. What a coincidence that the store next to it stored explosives as well. We also learned that the EPCOR building is the tallest building in Edmonton. One of the last places that we visited was the new arena being built, before we headed back. It must have been a peculiar sight to see a group of children attempting to cross the road at the same time.

A piece of the Edmonton Journal’s history was also taken in. The newspaper started on November 11, 1903, when three dedicated men from Winnipeg decided that it was the perfect time for a newspaper to grace the city. They started a small paper titled The Evening Journal and began to sell copies. Each of the men had different jobs to do. There was one reporter, one advertiser, and one typesetter. Eventually, the three men were too successful to continue running their business behind a meager fruit stand. So they constructed a building large enough to operate from. After about 40 years, the original building was torn down, and in its place, a larger, grander building was built.

While we were at the Edmonton Journal building, we participated in a “fly on the wall activity.” We each got into a group of five and got to go interview people and watch them work. We learned about the newspaper, how it is run and the people who make the Edmonton Journal possible. Ms. Sandy VanRiper told us that a “fly on the wall” is a person who quietly observes. Being a fly on the wall is beneficial because you can see a person’s unique workspace. We quickly learned that being a fly on the wall has its benefits (although it is hard not to ask lots of questions).

There were many meaningful things at the Edmonton Journal, but one of the most wonderful experiences that we had, was when some Edmonton Journal staff took the time to speak to us. We met Jeff Samsonow (an entrepreneur) and Jana Pruden (the Crime Bureau Chief). Each person that we met was interesting and full of information.

One of our favorite parts about the field trip included the “Makerspace” in the Stanley A. Milner Library. There were so many interesting gadgets, all open for public use. Some of the things we saw included a recording studio, a green screen, multiple computers and various game consoles. However, the thing that attracted our attention the most was the 3D printer, which could make things such as cones, cubes, castles and numerous shapes. Each one was coloured vibrantly, and it certainly held our attention and kept us wondering about what else we could create in the future.

After our few days of fun at the Journal, Ms. VanRiper gave us each a bag of orange, peach flavoured jelly beans. This was in celebration of the change of logo colour from blue to orange. The experience at the Edmonton Journal was truly incredible and inspiring for the seventh graders of Riverbend Junior High School.

7-8 with Elizabeth Withey, EPL Writer in Residence

7-7

Edmonton Journal School is fun, learning and newspaper galore! The Edmonton Journal School paves the path for apprentice journalists and novice writers. Located in the bustling heart of Downtown, Edmonton Journal school is the perfect place for kids to kickstart their school experience in September or celebrate a year of success in June.

On the first day, we got the privilege to tour the CKUA building and learn about it. CKUA is a radio station located on Jasper Avenue. One of the most interesting things we got to try was making our own on air radio introductions. It was pretty cool! We took a tour around the building, and looked at how to get the least amount of echo in a studio. We also went to the basement (the library), and saw a million vinyl records, and how a turntable works. It was so vintage! We got to meet another interesting person who has admired radio, his name was Tony King. It was an amazing experience.

We also interviewed Paula Simons that day. Paula works at the Edmonton Journal, as an editorial columnist. She loves writing in opinion columns, because explaining her thoughts to other people is one of her passions. Paula also loves to debate and, in fact, she still judges high school debate competitions in Edmonton!

Another one of the activities that we got to do was a walk around downtown. During that time, we got to go to the city center mall, the old Thistle Rink location, and much more. We also got to see Roger's Place being built. One thing we learned was how to stay inside while going around downtown. We also learned about how some of the old historic sites in Edmonton were preserved. For example, The City of Edmonton kept a memory of the old Alberta Collage by leaving the archway there.

On the last day of E.J school, each group was assigned to interview the editors of each column in the newspaper and asked them questions about their jobs and what they do. Some of the people that the students had interviews with were: Margo Goodhand, (the editor) Sam Brooks and Jeff Samsonow  Capital Ideas) and Barb Wilkinson (Special Projects). Some others were Chris Zdeb, (from ‘A day in History’), and Otiena Ellwand, (Breaking News).

It was fascinating! After each group interviewed their assigned person or people, they reported back to the rest of us and we all shared information.

Also on Friday, another thing we learned was about editorial comics; pictures that represent the news story in another way.  Malcolm Mayes works for Edmonton Journal as the person who makes editorial comics. We looked at the marvelous comics to see what the message was that the author was trying to explain to the people reading the paper.

One other person we met was a photojournalist named Ryan Jackson who came to see us, with a ton of information about his interesting profession. “A lot of it is preparation.” said, Ryan. He had a few cool stories, like how he had to hang half off a cement dock, holding a cold metal railing, in the rain, to get a picture for the morning paper. One of his favorite personal quotes is “Let your feet be the zoom,” .

We took a lot from this experience. We were so lucky for this opportunity. We hope to get another chance like this again. It was amazing!