Fulmore Middle School

Academic Programs » Journalism

Journalism

Adviser:
  • Scholastic Journalism
  • Reasons to Join
  • Awards We've Won
The award-winning Journalism program at Fulmore publishes a school newspaper, The Falcon Cry, and a yearbook, The Falcon. This year, the Falcon Cry will be published online as well as distributed in advisory class.

If you would like to buy a yearbook online you can visit YEARBOOK. There is also an opportunity to sponsor a yearbook for a deserving student in need, please see yearbook sponsorship form located below.
 
Parents: if you would like your student to appear in school publications like the yearbook and newspaper, you must have this form signed and turned in:

Release Form (English) | En Español



Scholastic Journalism

Journalism departments that encourage and practice scholastic journalism make excellence in writing their primary goal. They stress research and interviewing as the basis of every good story and they inform their schools and communities by fair and accurate news/features, features, editorials, columns, sports, and entertainment coverage. They strive to keep bias out of their reporting and they work to bring their communities together through a responsible press.

Benefits of Scholastic Journalism:
  • Students improve writing and thinking skills.
  • The goal of impartiality in news provides students with lessons in fairness and accuracy.
  • Because it is ethically imperative that facts be distinguished from opinions, students are better able to understand the meaning and importance of objectivity.
  • Scholastic journalism provides an outlet for student writing that primarily emphasizes service to readers rather than self-expression.
  • Writing for the press gives staff members practice in taking accurate notes and using reference material.
  • Through interviewing, students gain experience in dealing with people.
  • Feature writing gives students practice in imaginative and appealing treatment of facts.
  • Editorial writing provides practice in weighing evidence and reaching conclusions based on sound reasoning and facts.
  • Reporting experience helps students to recognize the difficulty of finding firm facts in a maze of stats, propaganda, and conflicting opinion.
  • Production of the school newspaper and/or yearbook provides valuable experience in teamwork.
  • Students gain experience in equating freedom with responsibility.
  • Experience on the staff makes students better critics of the public press.
  • The newspaper forum of editorials and signed columns encourages the resolving of issues by reasoned debate.



Reasons to Join
  • Fulmore has one of the strongest scholastic journalism programs in the State of Texas. The publications, as well as the students, consistently win state writing and design awards.
  • Most students who are involved in Fulmore journalism show significant gains in writing and critical thinking skills.
  • Journalism training makes research reports and class writing projects much easier to do.
  • Students learn marketable word processing and graphic design skills.
  • Students learn the responsibility that goes with working on deadline.
  • Learning occurs in a fun, exciting and innovative environment. It's unlike any other class you've ever had. Ask the people who are in journalism now.
  • See your name in print! The excitement of seeing your byline on a newspaper or yearbook story and having your friends congratulate you is indescribable.
  • Students in the Fulmore journalism program are actively recruited by high school journalism advisers, and are often able to place out of introductory high school journalism classes.
  • Research shows that students in journalism in middle school and high school generally score higher on standardized tests and the SAT and ACT in high school.
  • College admissions people say they like to see students who have a journalism/publication background because it's a strong indication they can write.



Awards We've Won

  • The newspaper has received a STAR in State Interscholastic League Press (ILPC) competition every year since 1992. ILPC is part of the University Interscholastic League (UIL). The STAR is the highest UIL rating in the State. This places the newspaper in the top 5% of schools statewide. The Falcon yearbook has received a STAR four times; the newspaper has received a STAR 19 consecutive times. Last year, the newspaper received a GOLD STAR and the yearbook received a BRONZE STAR in State UIL.
  • In 2001, the newspaper was honored as a recipient of the first ever Lone Star Award, given by ILPC to publications that had gotten an Award of Distinguished Merit (a "one") for 10 consecutive years. The Falcon Cry had actually received a STAR for those 10 years as well.
  • Numerous first, second and third place individual state awards, including seven Tops in Texas (Texas Champions) awards. A Tops in Texas award is given to the best piece of work (article or photograph) in all the state UIL conferences (JH/MS through 5A2).
  • In 2001, adviser Morgan Goldbarth and former adviser Muriel Parker each received the Edith Fox King Award for Contributions to Scholastic Journalism.
  • In 2006, adviser Morgan Goldbarth was named the Max R. Haddick Texas Journalism Teacher of the Year from the UIL. This is the highest honor an adviser can receive and the only time it has been awarded to a middle school journalism teacher.

  • Release for School and District Purposes _08-10__Spanish
  • yearbook_sponsorship_form
  • Release for School and District Purposes _08-10_