Extra Extra Read All About It – The Awards Keep Coming!

The Uncaged journalism team headed to Dallas in 2017, winning their second National Pacemaker Award.

By Cindy Lance

April 2018, a presenter who has become a regular fixture at Stockbridge Schools Board of Education meetings was on hand to again lift up her students and their exceptional work. At the request of the board, Ms. Elizabeth Cyr—mentor, teacher and driver of success for the Journalism, Yearbook and Uncaged News programs at Stockbridge High School—summarized a school year streaming with accomplishments:

In August 2017 “The Panther” yearbook team attended advanced training at Hartland High School, and both Uncaged and The Panther staff worked as the media team for Mike Smith’s #Findyourgrind tour at the Breslin Center in September. Uncaged print conducted focus groups to study its readership and better serve its needs. This research resulted in the news magazine tackling in-depth reporting on even more relevant and riveting issues.

The 2018 Yearbook team won a coveted Spartan Award with distinction from MIPA, the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association

November the Uncaged team traveled to Dallas for the National Scholastic Press Association Conference. There, they received their second National Pacemaker award. The Panther won the coveted Spartan Award with Distinction in December, with Uncaged awarded the Gold Medalist from Columbia Scholastic Press Association and First Class from NSPA. Uncaged won the Silver Crown from CSPA in March, and on April 23rd the teams were off to Lansing with cowbells in hand.

Several individuals have been recognized as well with Zabrina Yannella named MIPA All-State Journalist Staff, Multiplatform, and Jazmine Hawkins placing 3rd in the Jostens National Photography contest. A video, produced by Maria Risner was shown entitled “Dear Students,” a compilation of things teachers wish their students to know.

The Uncaged journalism team attending Mike Smith Live, a one of a kind session with high school students from across Mid-Michigan.

So what can possibly be next for these impressive teams of journalists? They are starting fundraising to attend the NSPA Fall Conference in Chicago, BIG STORIES, and sending journalists to MIPA and Jostens summer camps and workshops to emphasize tec

h understandings. Ms. Cyr has been recruited to serve as a national judge for CSPA, MIPA, JEA, and teaching at University of Iowa and Michigan State University. These activities will lend strength to Stockbridge’s already Herculean program.

If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, please get your hands on a copy of Uncaged or the Panther yearbook. See for yourself the talents and wonderful things SHS students are writing and creating.