Sanford Middle School has a new wave of young journalists who are making their mark with the launch of a new school newspaper. The SMS Times, which launched in early February, is giving students a platform to report on school events, sports, and issues that matter to them.

Inspired by the Sanford High School’s Spartan Times, this newspaper project began when Sanford Middle School Gifted and Talented Coordinator Chambree Kumka introduced the idea to her English Language Arts groups.

“I thought this would be something that would really get them feeling connected to the school,” Kumka explained.

The SMS Times has already made an impact within the school community. Fifth-grader Henry Defrance wrote a popular article about a malfunctioning water fountain that got real-world results.

“It hadn’t been working, but the day after I wrote the article it got fixed,” he said. Henry said he is preparing a follow-up piece for the next issue.

Sports coverage has emerged as a central feature, with fifth-graders Ivy Peters and Tanner Provencher (pictured above) forming a dedicated reporting team.

“I thought it would be fun to write about school sports and stuff,” Ivy expressed. Though her article wasn’t in the debut issue, she said she is excited to see her work in the next edition.

Tanner said she appreciates the opportunity to learn about sports that she doesn’t personally play.

“I like to learn about the experiences,” she noted. Both reporters said they are looking forward to covering spring sports, particularly softball and baseball.

Fellow fifth-grader Luke Levesque, who also contributes to sports coverage, said his favorite part is simply “seeing all the sports.”

These young reporters are learning to conduct interviews, speaking with coaches and players and gathering quotes and perspectives to enrich their articles. Students are gaining valuable experience in writing, editing, and meeting deadlines. They are also learning to research topics independently.

“I want to teach them about making sure they’ve checked their facts,” Kumka noted. “If we do make a mistake, we correct it in the next issue.”

Students receive guidance when needed but are encouraged to develop their own story ideas.

“If they’re stuck on something, I’ll guide them toward something that might be needed,” Kumka said. “But I definitely try to let them choose.”

The SMS Times has received positive feedback from teachers and students alike. The first edition featured a diverse range of content, including Henry’s investigative water fountain report; sports coverage by Luke and Eamon McGuckin-Welsch; a feature on Sanford Middle School Resource Officer Joe Jourdain receiving the Wayne Drown Award; a spotlight on eighth-grader Paityn Ricker’s SnackDash program; a guide to school clubs written by Lia Tullo, Alana Repolt, and Gabe Donovan; a student poll on allied arts classes; historical photos of Sanford; and even a joke section. It also promoted upcoming events like the school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast,” scheduled for May of 2025.

While fifth graders form the core of the reporting staff, Kumka said she hopes to increase involvement among older students in the future. These young journalists are already thinking about future coverage. Some are preparing to report on the school talent show, while others are developing ideas for feature stories about student concerns, such as lunch table seating arrangements.

Kumka currently handles design and production of the newspaper but said she plans to gradually pass these responsibilities to the students, as well.

“Eventually, I’d like for them to be doing pretty much all of it,” she said.

This story was submitted by Sanford Middle School. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.