Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Local students receive their first copies of monthly newspaper for kids
Whitney Burkhardsmeier's second grade class at NR-S was one of the two classes to receive Kids Scoop News on Tuesday. Back row (left to right): Transcript publisher Amy Wobbema, Rylee, Braelyn, Thor, Lennix, Jersey, Alex, Sophia, Jakoby, Lyla, Evy and Bryson; front row: Elijah, Briggs, Marisol, Ryatt, Gabriel, Hernesto, Eli and Phoenix.
Amanda Koepplin's third grade class also received Kids Scoop News on Tuesday. Back row (left to right): Joseph, Mia, Theodore, Parker, Bradleigh, Owen and Madilyn; middle row: Transcript publisher Amy Wobbema, Allie, Kaycee, Emmett, Isaac, Rylen, Landon and Mrs. Koepplin; front row: Gavin, Rowyreve, Mary Ann, Finley, Theo and Logan.
A cool new educational resource has made its way into area elementary schools.
It's called Kid Scoop News, and Transcript publisher Amy Wobbema delivered the 24-page newspapers designed especially for kids to five elementary schools this past week.
The New Rockford Lions Club took the lead for literacy, providing the funds for the nearly 200 copies needed for students in grades K-6 at New Rockford-Sheyenne Elementary School.
Wobbema hand-delivered the colorful educational resources to students in two NR- S classrooms Tuesday. She spent time with Amanda Koepplin's third graders and then Whitney Burkhardsmeier's second graders.
Carrington Area Healthy Communities Coalition raised the funds for more than 500 students in Carrington, Midkota, Pingree-Buchanan and Fessenden-Bowdon elementary schools, as well as nearly a dozen homeschool families in the area, to receive the publication each month.
Kid Scoop News will be delivered to schools once a month for as long as funds are available. Central North Dakota schools in the Independent coverage area were recently added to the list of 120 schools receiving the monthly educational resource.
The program began in 2022, led by Cecile Wehrman, publisher of The Journal in Crosby, N.D. The newspapers are provided at no cost to the school district. To date more than 500,000 copies of the printed Kid Scoop News have been delivered to students in western North Dakota.
"Several teachers have told us this is the only printed matter their students have in the classroom," and in some cases, it's the only publication on newsprint they've been exposed to, according to Wehrman.
When the program began, the average statewide reading proficiency rate for all grades was 42%. It's since risen to 46%, "but that means more than half of our students are still not reading at grade level," said Wehrman.
The North Dakota Newspaper Association and NDNA Education Foundation now operate the Kid Scoop News program with Wehrman now serving as NDNA's executive director, and their goal is to make newspapers available to every elementary student in North Dakota on a monthly basis.
The minds behind Kid Scoop News, a national publication founded by educator Vicki Whiting in 1984, hope to make a lasting impact on students today. A version of Kid Scoop is available in classrooms and/or printed in local newspapers in 40 states. Students in North Dakota account for 20% of the publication's monthly distribution directly to schools.
Kid Scoop News in North Dakota is 100% donor-funded. For more information on the program please contact Cecile Wehrman at [email protected]. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. Donations over $250 will be recognized in future issues. Make your tax deductible gift to: NDNAEF (with Kid Scoop ND in the memo line). Mail to: Kid Scoop, c/o NDNA, 501 E. Main Ave., Suite 75, Bismarck, ND 58501.
