Grade-schoolers write own articles on beautification project

PALMER -- To better learn the six traits of writing, the Butte Elementary School fourth- and fifth-grade jump-start summer school students learned how to research, interview for and write newspaper articles on their summer beautification project -- painted plywood signs that will go on the outside of the building to brighten the school entrance.

The students, with the help of a Frontiersman reporter, interviewed their instructors and other students, then wrote newspaper articles based on what they found out. A sample of some of the students' articles follows:

"School looks dull," by Curtis Justen

The Butte Elementary fourth and fifth grade summer school class has been painting projects to beautify Butte Elementary for the past two weeks.

"We wanted summer school to be fun," said Mr. Homstad, a teacher at Butte Elementary.

They are doing this because the school looks dull and the students want to make the school better.

The students at Butte Elementary are painting on plywood and scrapbooking to remember everything. The paintings will hang on the side of the windows.

"Kids beautify school," by Sarah Olson

The last two weeks the fourth and fifth graders in summer school studies have been trying to beautify their school.

"We've been doing a project to beautify our school," said fourth grader Christopher Rowell.

The students are trying to beautify their school because their school is really brown.

The project is painted on plywood. The kids are making scrapbooks for memories of summer school.

"Kids beautify their school," by Joe Day

Butte Elementary fourth and fifth grade summer school class has been painting projects to beautify Butte Elementary for the past two weeks.

"I think my favorite part was the painting," said Sarah Olson, a fourth grade student.

The fourth and fifth grade summer school class wanted to beautify the school so it looks nice because it looks dull.

They are making scrapbooks so they can remember how it was. They are painting the pictures on plywood. They are putting the pictures in between the windows. Their parents came last Friday to look at the projects.

To write the articles, the students learned and utilized the four parts of an article: the lead, which includes the who, when and what; the best quote, which goes in the second paragraph; the why paragraph(s); and then the conclusion, which includes the how and background information on the story.