The Berkeley Academy newspaper and Book Club continue to give students the
opportunity to express themselves and engage in educational activities that they enjoy. It is a
great sight every week to see students actively engaging with their studies!
In Newspaper, students are finishing up their first round of articles and projects. With the
deadline of 10-14- 16 drawing closer, they are working harder than ever to make sure their work
has not been for nothing. Discussions among students who are writing about similar topics have
gone from slight murmuring to full-fledged passionate and persuasive discussion. Students who
are working on more creative projects are proofreading, asking for my advice, revising, and
editing in a flurry of keyboard strokes and pencil marks. They genuinely care about the work
they are doing which is refreshing and, in a way, magical to witness.
Speaking of magic, the 3-4 th grade book club students continued reading Harry Potter
and the Cursed Child. After we discussed who would get to read for which characters this week,
students were excited to be the voice behind the characters they have come to know and love.
Some students read for multiple characters and experimented with voices, while others made
sure to say their lines with the proper emotion instead of reading the lines straight-faced and
monotone. I could feel the disappointment in Harry as he failed to connect with Albus at the train
station. The joy of reading is clear with this group!
Mid-October is normally a point of decreased energy in students as they settle into the
middle of the semester, but the students in Newspaper and Book Club are showing the
importance of letting students take charge of their education.