SCHool Magazine Features

At SCH, journalism isn't just about reading (or watching) the news— it's about making it. From Pre-K to Upper School, students dive headfirst into the world of fact-based storytelling, learning the core principles of reporting and developing the skills to become active creators of news. Fourth graders broadcast from an office in the Lower School for Spark, Middle Schoolers write for the online The Torch, and Upper Schoolers contribute to The Campus Lantern, both in print and online. With an eye toward the future, SCH’s "journalism track" also emphasizes new media and technology. SCHers are not just finding their voices, they’re discovering innovative ways to connect with their audience through traditional and digital media.

Traditional Journalism and Critical Thinking

SCH's interdisciplinary nature, the revival of The Campus Lantern began as a Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) project. Griffy Whitman ’25, bound for Swarthmore College in the fall, combined his interest in entrepreneurship with his passion for writing when he kickstarted the publication, now overseen by Upper School English teacher Jenny Gellhorn. Together, they brought the paper back to life; it’s now a thriving publication featuring hundreds of stories in print and online from over 70 contributors.

In a letter from the editor after its inaugural year, Whitman wrote, “As you would expect, students who love writing have found a home with the newspaper, but so have the kids who do Players, the ones who build robots, who hit baseballs, take pictures, draw cartoons. So have the kids who never thought they’d write one more word than was required. The Campus Lantern connects us all.”

To be able to look around your world and see that everything has value, to want to tell everyone about everything, that's passion, right? - Jenny Gellhorn, English Teacher and Lantern Adviser

Lantern staff members got a crash course in InDesign and even learned the demands of a 24-hour news cycle, covering news from across campus and further afield. They have engaged with their audience on social media and connected through online polls. While they gained invaluable technological skills, the appeal of reaching their peers and telling their authentic stories have spurred ideas. They have written profiles of faculty members, reported on hard news around campus, and even weighed in on the TikTok ban and the presidential election. 

“Some students, once they get started, begin seeing stories everywhere,” says Gellhorn, whose Introduction to Journalism and Advanced Journalism students also contribute to the paper. “They come to me with a laundry list of stories they want to write and who they want to interview. I think that's where the magic is. To be able to look around your world and see that everything has value, to want to tell everyone about everything, that's passion, right?”

This passion for storytelling and connecting with peers transcends generations, as evidenced by Charles "Chas" B. Landreth ’66, who Whitman interviewed for a Lantern article about the evolution of student journalism at SCH. Landreth's reflections on his time contributing to the paper in the 1960s (and his father’s in the 1920s!) highlight the enduring power of these experiences: "These kinds of activities bring folks together who, under their normal school year, probably wouldn’t even meet each other," he observed.

Guest speakers with careers in journalism, including several alumni, have visited SCH’s classrooms, including Eamon Javers '90, CNBC's senior Washington correspondent, and Philadelphia Inquirer features reporter Zoe Greenberg ’09. In January, Greenberg shared valuable insights into professional journalism, presenting three real-life stories she reported. "Every good story has an ethical or journalistic dilemma," she explained. The class then used critical thinking skills to analyze these dilemmas and explore potential solutions.

At Springside, Greenberg explored theater as a member of Players, discovering its potential as a storytelling tool. This is just one example of how narrative, audience, and public speaking are valued at SCH. This emphasis on public speaking is also conveyed during “senior speeches,” which are required of students before they graduate, allowing them to tell their often very personal stories in a way that captivates and teaches all at once. But well before that, students are learning how to find their voice. 

The Spark of Curiosity

In 2012, reading specialist Christy Yaffe HA'15 encouraged and worked with 4th-grade girls to embark on a weekly news show with “real purpose for a real audience,” she said recently. She had heard about 12th graders using smart boards, a new technology at the time, to project the news at a different school. 

“I felt pretty sure that 4th grade girls could also do it,” she said. For seven years leading up to the pandemic, the weekly news team covered everything from beekeeping to the McCausland Lower School building construction. “It was thrilling to see students be so engaged and take such pride in their work,” says Yaffe. 

During that first year, Avi Oliver ’25, now a senior at SCH, interviewed Olympian Taylor Ellis-Watson Washington ’11. 

“My interview with Taylor was amazing. I was only a 4th grader, and I remember feeling so special to have been given that role as she was a celebrity to us,” said Oliver, noting that, even though Taylor is her cousin, she took a professional approach. “As I have gotten older, I have come to realize the huge role and responsibility that journalists have in society. Being an interviewer at only 10 years old allowed me to reflect now, as a 17-year-old, and recognize the importance of asking the right questions.” 

Now, 4th graders spend weeks preparing for their newscast, with help from several faculty and staff, including Yaffe. Gellhorn, during her lunch, is guiding them from behind the camera. 

“Students who have participated in the 4th-grade news understand that their performance on the newscast will impact how others see them,” says Gellhorn, who is also running a journalism camp at SCH this summer. “I hope this translates when they get their own social media accounts. I also think that students do their best work when they have an authentic assignment and an authentic audience.” 

In a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine fact, truth, or authenticity, The Torch is a hands-on way to teach media literacy skills. -Jessica Tiffany, Middle School English teacher and Torch adviser

Carrying The Torch 

Students arrive in Middle School with a strong foundation in reading and writing, a sense of how stories and facts shape our world, and they're ready to explore these concepts in exciting new ways. They continue to develop their journalistic skills through hands-on experience with traditional and digital media, both in the classroom and elsewhere. Out of class, they can join the newspaper club and write or produce for The Torch, and in class, they hone their writing skills and learn more deeply about the power of unique voice and vision. 

“Students practice writing, interviewing, critical thinking, and collaboration skills,” says Jessica Tiffany, Middle School English teacher and Torch adviser. “They learn planning, organization, accountability, and resilience. In a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine fact, truth, or authenticity, The Torch is a hands-on way to teach media literacy skills.”

Students apply what they’ve learned beyond the newspaper and English rooms. Through the CEL curriculum, they each develop and deliver a TED Talk in 7th grade and, in Digital Publishing in 8th grade, they are not only responsible for researching, writing, and producing an online magazine, but they also consider a wider audience. 

“In Digital Publishing, we strive to build these skills by investigating the world around us, asking questions of our surroundings, recognizing the dangers of a ‘single story,’ and considering the perspectives that multiple audiences might bring to a piece of media,” says CEL teacher Julie Knutson, a global education advisor for PBS News Student Report Labs and author of a series of books on media literacy. “Empathy for one’s audience is a key tenet of the CEL program.” 

The Digital Publishing classroom thrives on discussion and compromise, fostering a strong sense of belonging. “For a magazine to look and feel cohesive, students must listen to each other and consider tone, intent, audience, and purpose,” said Knutson. “This skill—of being able to collaborate, negotiate, pivot, and build consensus—is imperative for life as a student and beyond.” 

This collaborative environment empowers students to produce engaging stories that delve into diverse subjects, from dress code to politics, with both depth and interest. The result is two digital magazines (one by girls, one by boys) each semester. The questions, shares Knutson, are as important as the answers: “Collecting varied student voices into a single volume allows us to ask: ‘What story does this—as a whole—tell about our community? How can we better, more fully, more inclusively, and engagingly share these stories?’ ” 

An Interdisciplinary Nature 

Knutson is just one faculty member helping students to understand the future of storytelling and its diverse forms. Another is fellow CEL teacher Adam Butz-Weidner, who teaches a course on producing documentaries and implores students to ask “essential journalistic questions,” including, Who is involved? What’s at stake? And why does this story matter? 

“These questions encourage students to dive deeper into their topics, engage thoughtfully with the details, and focus on the bigger picture of why their story is important,” he says. The course provides a strong foundation in both storytelling and video editing skills even creating “story spines” based on Pixar’s method. 

“During the editing phase,” he says, “students gain hands-on experience with professional software like DaVinci Resolve and learn essential post-production techniques. Most importantly, though, they learn the art of the cut. By practicing with industry-standard tools, they not only develop technical proficiency but also learn how editorial choices can shape a compelling narrative.” 

Butz-Weidner also mentors student podcasters, including two whose CEL Capstone project highlights Black voices within a predominantly white institution (PWI), directly supporting the school's strategic focus on belonging. Izzie Ford ’26 and Mmalita Echewa’s ’26 podcast, “Diversity Dialogues,” which won the CEL’s New Media Studio Award last year, invites SCHers and others to join the duo as they “share stories, strategies, and insights to empower Black students and educate allies.” 

“I think the most important thing I've learned is that your story matters because there might be other people out there just like you who are afraid to speak up or feel as though they have no one to relate to,” says Ford. “Mmalita’s and my goal is to uplift and unmask Black voices that may be silenced.” 

Authentic voices like Ford and Echewa’s are being heard and celebrated at SCH and in the wider community. 

The Light Burns Bright 

As a sophomore, Brendan Flatow ’25 conceived of a new way to connect with his peers. He would report and commentate from the sidelines at SCH sports matches and interview athletes for his venture, GameTime Sports, for which he won the top CEL prize, the Sands Entrepreneurial Mindset Prize. In the years since, he has launched his project, even recruiting others to report alongside him and covering 148 athletic competitions and nearly every SCH sport. 

Michael Goff ’26, junior editor-in-chief for The Campus Lantern, recently won a “Best of Student News Organization” (SNO) Award for his profile about retiring photography teacher and longtime yearbook advisor Pete Capano. SNO hosts thousands of K-12 news websites, enabling "media advisers and student journalists to focus on journalism." This is a meaningful award for Goff, who said he wanted to do justice to Capano's 41-year career. His profile covers everything from Capano's early years of teaching to his friendship with Philly’s own Kevin Bacon. 

"I knew how much Pete has meant to the community over the years, and I wanted to do everything I could to tell his story as best as I could," says Goff. "Throughout the interviewing process, it became clear to me that Pete was more than just a teacher to his students; he was also a mentor who built his students into strong photography students and stronger humans." 

Powerful writing, fueled by empathy and community connection as Goff exemplifies, is a lifelong asset. Alongside The Campus Lantern, Pub literary magazine offers students hands-on publishing experience. Upper Schoolers collaborate on all aspects of the magazine, from curating submissions and editing to design and multimedia, which provides real-world experience, giving students a taste of media and creative careers. It also serves as an important platform for students to showcase their writing, art, and audio creations, fostering artistic expression and confidence. 

This foundation and these skills are crucial, especially now, says Ed Glassman, executive director of the CEL, who is keenly interested in preparing students for the future. 

“If we want to equip students for an uncertain future and prepare them for meaningful careers, while also ensuring the survival of thoughtful, measured journalism in the age of AI, then the skills developed through these extracurriculars and courses really matter,” he says. 

Whitman, editor of The Lantern, makes regular visits to the Middle School, inspiring aspiring reporters and writers and emphasizing the relevance of traditional skills in a digital world. The faint flicker of his idea for a newspaper, two years past, now burns brightly. 

“The Lantern,” he says, “is too big, too bright to turn off now.”