Congratulations on some very good reporting! John Warden, Editor, Clarence Valley Independent The Year 4 students at South Grafton PS have presented some exceptional reports. They were all very good, and I enjoyed reading them. There were, however, a number of standouts. I must make special mention of the report from Marlee, Kason, Paytience and Elijah. Their heading ‘Right to Write’ was very clever and invited the reader to stay engaged. The report from Cailin, Holly, Hunter, Lewis and William, headed ‘South Grafton Public School gets a special visit from local journalist’, was very good and I particularly enjoyed the use of naming a local identity (Daine Laurie) in the report. This gave the report a more “intimate” feel, by which the reader can better identify. My pick for the best report has to go to Mollie, Ellie, Ella & Charlie. Their report ‘Journalism at South Grafton Public School – Emma Pritchard visit’ was very good and displayed a level of maturity in their writing. The report provided plenty of interesting information and provided several quotes from Emma Pritchard. At 422 words, the report was by far the longest and this enabled the writers to better report on Emma’s visit. Learning about newspapers news to their ears Emma Pritchard Close to 100 Year 4 students at South Grafton Public School have been spending the past couple of weeks learning about genre and informative writing as part of their English unit. For homework, they have been reading copies of the Clarence Valley Independent and familiarising themselves with the layout of our newspaper, its structure and design, advertising setup, and news content. The students have also embraced the opportunity to learn about the history of newspapers, and the important role they play in effectively promoting and conveying local, regional, national, and international news. On August 9, I had the pleasure of being invited to South Grafton Public School, where I met and spoke with students and staff about my role as the Grafton journalist for the Clarence Valley Independent, and the professional duties I perform as a representative and employee of the media industry. It was an interactive experience for the students as I talked with them about how I select topics to write about, the process of compiling an engaging article, the importance of quoting people accurately and respectfully, how to choose an eye-catching headline, taking photos to accompany articles, deadlines, and the editing process prior to publication. Students listened intently and took notes during the presentation, and asked me a variety of interesting questions including the challenging aspects of my job, identifying the easiest and most difficult articles I’ve written and why, what makes journalism such a rewarding occupation, and what job would I be doing if I wasn’t a journalist. The students were also invited to write their own articles following my visit, and the Clarence Valley Independent is proud to share a selection these with you, our readers, in this special feature. The Clarence Valley Independent would also like to take the opportunity to extend our sincere appreciation to South Grafton Public School, particularly relieving Assistant Principal Jolene Rouse for her kind support and assistance. We hope we have helped to inspire the next generation of writers. Emma steps through the door Banda & Hayley Year 4 students South Grafton Public School Emma Prichard, a journalist from the Clarence Valley Independent, came to South Grafton Public School to share her journalism knowledge with Year 4 students who are studying genre in their English unit. The excited Year 4 students were very lucky to learn about newspaper articles and Emma was happy to share her knowledge and teach them about journalism and newspaper writing. South Grafton Public School Principal, Mr Peter Hickey, believes his students are extremely capable. He said, “Don’t settle for what life gives you, make life better and build something! You can achieve anything!” Emma said, “As a journalist I am very busy, just imagine juggling ten oranges with one hand.” During this exciting visit from Emma the students learnt a lot about newspapers and journalism. Emma has been a journalist for 12 years and has worked for the CVI for 3 years. Before Emma was a journalist she studied at Southern Cross University and she really loved the subject, English. Emma also really likes calming walks, which helps with her creative writing. Year 4 from SGPS were all very engaged throughout the presentation and are very thankful to Emma for teaching them new knowledge, which they can share with the world. She may have even inspired some of the students to become journalists in the future! Junior journalist of the future Amelia, Payton, Mia – Year 4, South Grafton Public School Emma Pritchard, Clarence Valley Independent journalist for the past 3 years, came to South Grafton Public School on Wednesday 9th August 2023 to support Year 4 with their English unit on genre. Year 4 were excited to visit the school library to listen to Emma’s presentation. Emma spoke to all Year 4 classes about journalism. She said, “It is a very busy job, imagine juggling ten oranges in one hand at once.” Mrs. Jolene Rouse, Stage 2 Assistant Principal, said Emma coming to share her knowledge with Year 4 was an invaluable experience and one that the students will remember forever. Having someone who is working in the industry explain their role and responsibilities taught us how journalists write their articles and the procedures to follow right through to printing. Emma works 28 hours a week, 7 days a week. Her deadline is 9am every Monday. Emma said, “I am always learning new skills’’. Her most memorable story was when she interviewed parents about their little girl Hannah, who drowned in their backyard pool, and they wanted to make a foundation to educate people on water safety. Emma’s favourite story was when she interviewed a little girl who kept laughing and giggling the whole time. Emma loved this story. I wonder if any of us will be working with Emma in the future? Emma Pritchard goes to South Grafton Public School Nash and Cassius Year 4 students South Grafton Public School Emma Pritchard, Clarence Valley Independent journalist, came to South Grafton Public School to teach the Year 4 classes about newspapers for their English unit on Wednesday, 9th august. Emma, who spoke to around 100 Year 4 students from SGPS, told them that, “doing journalism is so hard, imagine juggling 10 oranges with one hand.” Emma studied journalism at Southern Cross University for twelve years and was involved in media for 3 years writing for the Clarence Valley Independent. During Emma’s talk, all students were very engaged and were putting their hand up to ask questions about newspaper writing. Growing up, Emma’s favourite subject in school was English, and she always really loved reading and writing. SGPS Principal, Mr. Peter Hickey states that, “his students are extremely capable”, he continued to say, “don’t settle for what life gives you, make life better and build something! You can achieve anything!” The students enjoyed the experience, and we were all left wondering how many of us will become a journalist. Emma Prichard puts on a show for pupils Jeremy, William, and Braiden from 4JR from South Grafton Public School Local reporter Emma Pritchard from Clarence Valley Independent paid a visit to South Grafton Public School on Wednesday 9th of August. Year 4 students at SGPS have been learning about different genres including newspapers. Emma studied journalism at Southern Cross University in Lismore and has been working in journalism for 12 years. She has been working for the CVI newspaper for 3 years and informed students that working for a newspaper is very busy, “imagine juggling ten oranges with one hand”. A challenge that she often faces when writing newspaper articles is writer’s block, and she explained that when this occurs, she will take herself for a walk, have a break and she soon overcomes this. Around 100 students attended Emma’s presentation where she informed them that when writing newspaper articles, it is very important to keep it interesting to ensure that readers are engaged, and always keep things truthful. All the students really enjoyed having a visit from a real Journalist, she may have even inspired some of us to become Journalists one day in the future like herself. Emma’s encouragement Kalani, Zahli, Wirri 4JR students South Grafton Public School Emma Pritchard, journalist at the Clarence Valley Independent, came to South Grafton Public School to talk to Year 4 students about her role working in newspapers. Year 4 students have been studying genre in their English unit this term and found this experience invaluable. Approximately 100 Year 4 students were completely engaged while listening to Emma talk about her career in journalism and working at the Clarence Valley Independent. Students were also given the opportunity to ask questions and were given advice on the process of writing an article. Emma hoped to encourage aspiring junior journalists. She explained that being a journalist can be challenging and compared her work to juggling ten oranges in one hand. Emma thoroughly enjoys her work, and she is always looking for ways to make connections in the community and ensures that she is up to date with what is happening in and around the Grafton area. She loves sharing the community’s stories to show that she cares about all stories from different people around Grafton. Emma’s talk was engaging, and she hopes that it encourages many young aspiring writers in the future to follow her footsteps. Emma goes back in time! Tom B, Alex, Tom W 4JR South Grafton Public School students Last week Emma Pritchard, Clarence Valley Independent journalist, joined South Grafton Public School Year 4 students in their school library to give an insight on the world of newspapers. This presentation supported their English unit focusing on genre. Emma said, “As a journalist I’m very busy, it’s like Juggling 10 oranges with one hand.” She taught an enthusiastic and engaged group of approximately 100 students about her interview process with people in the Grafton area. She then walked the students through the steps required to create an entertaining and factual article. Emma spoke about the biggest challenge facing newspapers today is the advancement in technology, resulting in a lot of newspapers going out of print and online. She has been a journalist for twelve years and with the Clarence Valley Independent for three years. Emma went to university at Southern Cross University in Lismore to study journalism. “I’m always learning new skills,” Emma said. Jolene Rouse, Stage 2 Assistant Principal, believes Emma’s presentation was a huge success and that, “It was a fantastic learning opportunity for our students.” Perhaps some of the students in Year 4 will be writing for the Clarence Valley Independent in the future! Local students receive visit from local journalist – Emma Prichard Jak, Tristen, Ivy & Darcey Clarence Valley Independent journalist Emma Pritchard visited Year 4 students at South Grafton Public School last Wednesday the 9th of August. Year 4 students at SGPS have been learning about genres, including newspaper articles. One hundred students were lucky enough to hear all about writing for a newspaper from Emma, who has been a journalist for twelve years and working for the Clarence Valley Independent newspaper for the past 3 years. Emma covers stories and events all over the Grafton area. She has written about exciting stories, happy stories, and has also done some very sad stories, like an article where a family lost their little girl who drowned in their backyard pool. Emma came to South Grafton Public School to help share her journalism knowledge with the students where Emma said, “Being a journalist is hard work. Just imagine juggling ten oranges with one hand”. She shared with students that it is important when writing newspaper stories that they be engaging and truthful. The students from SGPS are very thankful for Emma’s visit, have learned a lot of new things, and may even be inspired to become journalists one day. Emma Pritchard best journalist in town! By Elijah, Chase, Poppy, Lyla & Connor On Wednesday the 9th of August 2023, Emma Pritchard came to South Grafton Public School and spoke about her amazing job as a journalist. She told us when the newspaper comes out every Wednesday. Emma has a lot of fun doing her job. She loves going around town and finding exciting stories for everyone, sometimes stories are sad and discouraging for Emma, but she understands how important it is to report on all events as accurately as she can. Emma has some challenges sometimes and her most challenging story so far was the Grafton pool closure because it had a lot of research and articles adding up to 374 pages. We asked her what her favourite story has been so far. She told us that she once interviewed a girl who was doing wonderful work raising awareness and funds for cancer. The girl giggled through most of the interview Emma thought that even though it was a story to support something sad it was also a fun interview. Emma had some great advice for us, she said that your writing needs to engage the reader and stories need to be real and factual. Some stories involve a lot of gathering of information, research and preparation. You need to make sure you have all the facts and that they are all accurate. You then need to write your article and have pictures to support your story. Amazing Emma teaches astonished students how newspapers work By Leo, Harvey, Declan & Albert On Wednesday Emma Pritchard entered South Grafton Primary School to teach Year 4 students all about journalism, how newspapers work and most importantly, to help them with their English lessons. Emma was asked multiple questions. She has been a journalist for 12 years and has been with the Clarence Valley Independent for 3. The most challenging story Emma has written was regarding the Grafton pool closure story as it had lots of research and articles to read (374 pages). The enquiring minds of Year 4 also asked why Emma wanted to be a journalist and she said she loved English, writing, meeting people and sharing stories. She studied to become a journalist at Southern Cross University. The students also asked Emma how she prepares her stories, she said that all her stories are written on her laptop, using Microsoft Word, stating that they need to be 400 words or less. Before these stories go to print in the Clarence Valley Independent, or uploaded to their Facebook page everything needs to be checked and edited by the newspaper’s editor, John. When one of the students asked Emma if it was a hard job, Emma said “As a journalist I am very busy… Imagine juggling 10 oranges using one hand”. She said that she is always learning new skills for her job. Emma has also told the students a few facts like how the Clarence Valley Independent was first published in 1994 and that the deadline for printing is 9am every Monday. Emma’s presentation to South Grafton Public School was inspiring and informative. She has encouraged students to become journalists themselves. Emma has shown the students the important role newspapers have in our community and in our world. Emma Pritchard talks about journalism as she visits South Grafton Public School By: Ava, Annabelle, Tyler & Bray On Wednesday journalist Emma Pritchard from the Clarence Valley Independent visited South Grafton Primary School to tell Year 4 about her work in journalism. Emma studied at Southern Cross University and has been a journalist for 12 years. When asked how she prepares her stories ready for the paper she told us that all her stories are written on a laptop on a Word document, they need to be 400 words or less. Once checked and edited these stories can then go to print and can be uploaded to Facebook or on the Clarence Valley Independent Website. Her most challenging stories to write are stories related to council decisions because she has to do a lot of reading and research to verify her information. Lots of ideas come from the events happening in the community, she also gets a lot of information through media releases, regularly checking in with the police and other emergency services. She believes “As a journalist, you always have to have a Plan B” for slow news weeks and says that there are always items on file ready to go. In her free time, Emma’s favourite things are reading, walking to clear her head, and spending time with friends and family. Journalism at South Grafton Public School – Emma Pritchard visit By: Mollie, Ellie, Ella & Charlie Emma Pritchard visited South Grafton Public School to talk to Year Four students about being a journalist. Emma writes for the Clarence Valley Independent. She studied at Southern Cross University and has been in journalism for 12 years. During her visit, we learnt about some important aspects of being a journalist. Some of the things Emma talked about were the importance of our writing needing to be engaging for the reader, and stories needing to be real, factual, true, clear and concise. She uses a lot of adjectives in her writing and says this is to make it fun and less boring. Emma told us that all her work is checked and edited by John (CVI editor) prior to submission “You need to quote people accurately”. All stories are written on her laptop using Word Docs and they need to be 400 words or less. Once cleared, these stories go to print and can be uploaded to Facebook or on the CVI Website. She shared with us that lots of the ideas for her stories come from the events happening in the community Emma said, “I get a lot of information through contacts in the community, media releases, regularly checking in with the police and emergency services”. Some stories involve a lot of gathering of information, research and preparation. “You need to make sure you have all the facts and that they are all accurate”. Emma writes her articles and takes her own photos whenever she can. When asked what the biggest change or concern is regarding the direction of journalism today, Emma said that the advancement in technology has had a big impact resulting in a lot of newspapers going out of print and online. Not everyone has access to computers and technology resulting in some people not being able to access news. What happens when there is no news? There is always news – slow news days are sometimes good as it helps us catch up on other articles. But you always need a ‘Plan ‘B’. We have stories on file that can be used on any date. We look at media releases from NSW Health, local council, community groups and local politicians. The biggest hurdle as a journalist Emma says is ‘Writer’s block’. This is always a big concern, not being able to think of what to write, I will often have to walk away, have a break, and come back and try again. But Emma says she loves her job and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. Emma Pritchard – Journalist By: Audrey, Amayah, Tui & Lachlan On Wednesday afternoon, Emma Pritchard came to South Grafton Public School to tell us about being a journalist. She studied journalism at Southern Cross University and has been working locally ever since. Emma told us all about her work and how she writes stories of events happening in South Grafton, Grafton and the Clarence Valley. She has been a journalist for 12 years, involved in media for 7 years and with the Clarence Valley Independent for 3, having previously worked at Daily Examiner as a feature writer. Emma focuses on the areas around Grafton, visiting and asking people about stories to add to her newspaper reports. She gets all of her work checked by John who reads and edits all her work to see how it is and see if it is right. It then goes to print. Emma`s least favourite thing to write is any story where there is a tragedy. She said that although they are difficult to write she feels they are important news items and sometimes come with inspirational messages. The most challenging story she has written so far is on the Grafton pool closure. This story had a lot of research and reading (over 374 pages). Emma believes it is important to support local newspapers as they support local businesses, family and friends. Journalism is a great career, “I am always learning new skills”. Emma loves what she does! Emma Pritchard not just a journalist! By: William, Ryan & Jacob Emma Pritchard visited Year 4 at South Grafton Public School on Wednesday afternoon to tell them all about newspapers and her experience working as a newspaper journalist. Emma has been a journalist at the Clarence Valley Independent for three years and says she absolutely loves it! One of the most complex stories Emma has written was a piece on the Grafton pool closure. It had a lot of research and articles to read (about 374 pages). Emma usually sources her stories through local connections within the community. Emma also told us that any story that has a tragedy is always sad and harder to write, these stories have a lot of emotion. “I once did a story about a little girl who drowned and although it was very sad, I found her parents to be an inspiration. Through their loss, they became involved in educating others on pool safety. Emma feels writing with a local paper, gives her the opportunity to share truthful accounts of the events happening in the local area of Grafton and around the larger community “It keeps people informed and updated with what’s happening”. Emma likes to write feature articles and enjoys writing about sports in particular. She says there is always news, “Even when there are slow news days there are always other news items we keep on file, we always have a Plan B”. We look at the news releases from NSW Health, Local Council, Community Groups and local politicians. There is always news to share! South Grafton Public School gets a special visit from local journalist By: Cailin, Holly, Hunter, Lewis, William Yr4 4KG Emma Pritchard, a local journalist, spoke to Year 4 at South Grafton Public School about how to write a newspaper article. She explained how to do her work, and also told us that it has to be eye-catching, fun and interesting or it won’t engage readers. Emma enjoys her job as a journalist for The Clarence Valley Independent newspaper. She said she likes meeting new people and being able to interview them for a story. Emma enjoys writing stories about local sporting events and was lucky enough to interview rugby league player, Daine Laurie who played for the West Tigers and is now playing for the Penrith Panthers. Part of Emma’s job is to also write about a variety of stories. Her saddest thing to write about though was when she had to write about a little girl who drowned in her own pool. Her parents then began teaching others about pool safety. She also had a lovely interview with a little girl who was fundraising and raising awareness for cancer. The interview was a funny one because the little girl kept nervous laughing through the whole interview. Students in Year 4 from South Grafton Public School would like to thank Emma for her time on Wednesday afternoon. She was engaging to listen to, and we all took some valuable insights away and couldn’t wait to start writing our own newspaper articles. Clarence Valley Independent journalist comes to visit South Grafton Public School By: James, Jardyn, Layla, Tiarni and Zavier – Year 4 students, South Grafton Public School Emma Pritchard is a journalist from the Clarence Valley Independent Newspaper, and she came to South Grafton Public School library on Wednesday the 9th of August. She spoke to Year 4 students about newspapers and how to write an article. Emma talked about her life, previous jobs and her love for writing, which led her to her career as a journalist. Emma has been working for the Clarence Valley Independent for 3 years. One of Emma’s favourite interviews was with a young girl who was doing some wonderful work raising awareness and funds for cancer. The young girl was so nervous that she giggled through the whole interview making it quite entertaining. Sadly, Emma has also had to write emotional stories. She once did an interview with parents who had lost their daughter in their backyard pool. After their loss they became involved in educating others about pool safety. Emma said they were an inspiration. During Emma’s visit we found it interesting that her articles must be 400 words long. We also learnt that she has contacts in the Emergency Services that she keeps in contact with to find out if there is any news, she needs to keep the community informed about. Students in Year 4 from South Grafton Public School would like to thank Emma for her time on Wednesday afternoon. She was engaging to listen to, and we all took some valuable insights away and couldn’t wait to start writing our own newspaper articles. Emma Pritchard visits Year 4 students at South Grafton Public School By: Alex, Heath, Scarlett and Titan – Year 4 students, South Grafton Public School. On Wednesday 9th August, Emma Pritchard came to South Grafton Public School to teach Year 4 how to write a newspaper article. She works for the Clarence Valley Independent. Emma has been working for the Clarence Valley Independent for 3 years and she covers all the events in the Grafton area. Growing up, Emma loved English and reading so she decided to go to Southern Cross University to become a journalist so she could write newspaper articles and interview people as a career. When writing an article, Emma puts everything on her laptop in a word document, each article needs to be approximately 400 words. Lots of Emma’s ideas come from the events in the community. She regularly checks in with emergency services and her contacts in the community for her stories. Emma’s least favourite article to write are the ones where there have been tragedies. They are always harder to write for her, but they are part of the job. Students in Year 4 from South Grafton Public School would like to thank Emma for her time on Wednesday afternoon. She was engaging to listen to, and we all took some valuable insights away and couldn’t wait to start writing our own newspaper articles. Junior reporters meet journalist By: Akaisha, Khloe King, Lacey, Addison and Declan – Junior Reporters Last Wednesday, Emma Pritchard from the Clarence Valley Independent newspaper visited Year 4 at South Grafton Public School and showed them what it was like to be a journalist and work at a newspaper. This visit was linked into their English Unit of work about genre. Newspapers cover many different genres, so this was a very informative presentation. Emma Pritchard has been a journalist for 12 years and she has worked at The Daily Examiner and now the Clarence Valley Independent newspaper. She says that the biggest challenge about being a journalist is writer’s block – not being able to think about what to write. When you are writing, use a lot of adjectives so that the article is more engaging and fun to read. Journalists come from many different backgrounds Emma became a journalist because she loved English and writing at school, meeting people, and sharing stories. Journalism can be fun but also stressful to meet deadlines. She said, “As a journalist I am very busy, imagine juggling 10 oranges in one hand.” Emma’s best tip, keep supporting local newspapers and you are supporting more local people. The Clarence Valley Independent newspaper continues to keep local people informed and up to date with what’s happening in the Valley. Right to write By: Marlee, Kason, Paytience and Elijah – Junior Correspondents Last Wednesday, famous reporter Emma Pritchard visited South Grafton Public School to teach Year 4 about her job as a journalist in conjunction with their English Unit about genre. Newspapers cover many different genres, and they were given an insight of just what it takes to be a journalist and get the paper out on time. Emma Pritchard has been a journalist for 12 years who has reported for the Daily Examiner and the Clarence Valley Independent newspapers. Being a journalist is fun but can be very stressful. She states that, “As a journalist I am very busy, imagine juggling 10 oranges with one hand”. Emma Pritchard’s biggest challenge is writer’s block, not being able to think of what to write when you have a deadline looming. Her deadline is 9am Monday for submission to the Editor for publication on Wednesday. The Editor edits her articles looking for spelling mistakes and making sure it is engaging and fun to read. A lot of newspapers today are going out of print and are now online and not everyone has access to computers or technology. Keep supporting local newspapers, you are supporting local people and businesses in the community more than what you realise.