May 2012… Student reporters from the Gotwals Healthy Press recently participated in their school’s “Day of the Child/Day of the Book” celebration. The event, featured on the front page of The Times Herald with an article and a video, celebrated reading and Norristown’s Bicentennial.
Gotwals Healthy Press reporters interviewed a number of Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, and Norristown officials. Several interviewees requested copies of the Gotwals Healthy Press so that they could read their interviews in print.
Since the event, the student journalists have been invited to sit in on the commissioners meeting at the Montgomery County Court House. “We had a great day celebrating Norristown’s 200th birthday. We were very proud of our budding reporters, they truly represented the student body here at Gotwals,” said Katie Sortino, a Gotwals third grade teacher who serves as the Healthy Press’ faculty advisor.
Other activities at the celebration included a performance of a Latin Jazz band, an appearance by the Philly Phanatic, a reading by an accomplished author (Lindsay Barrett George), and educational stations such as a Bully-Free Zone.
The Gotwals Healthy Press has been part of the Healthy NewsWorks program in the Norristown Area School District since spring 2011.