OPINION
Newspapers
an important part of education
By MAGGIE
WILLIAMS
mwilliams@owentonnewsherald.com
I’ve
always loved Wednesdays in Owen County. The week is half-way over;
businesses close early so employees can spend time with their
families; and best of all, The News-Herald hits the racks.
Working
at the newspaper makes the satisfaction of seeing the final product
that much sweeter. Before I began writing for the paper, though,
I read it every week as part of Newspapers in Education (NIE).
Each week,
several bundles of The News-Herald arrived on the doorstep of
Owen County High School, and for the rest of that day, you could
almost bet there would be at least one person reading the newspaper
in any classroom in the building.
Delivery
times have changed a bit since I graduated, but newspapers remain
a valuable educational tool. In addition to keeping students informed
about the world around them, The News-Herald can be used in just
about any classroom to teach students of any age.
The News-Herald
has participated in the NIE program since the ’90s, and
through partnerships with local businesses and individuals, an
average of 1,000 newspapers are delivered to the Owen County school
system each week.
Teachers
will be sent letters about the program within the next week, and
soon after, we will begin the process of finding sponsors for
each of the teachers who wish to be a part of Newspapers in Education.
The cost
is nominal. You can sponsor a classroom for as little as $7.50
a week, or you can make a one-time donation. This program is so
easy to be a part of, and it does not require any additional effort
on the part of the sponsors.
Looking
back, I can see that reading The News-Herald each week provided
a real-life literacy experience that cannot be found in textbooks.
The importance of being knowledgable about current affairs is
an asset to anyone, and there is no better place to start than
home.
I encourage
you to contribute to this program. Put the printed word in the
hands — and minds — of local students, and help make
newspaper-reading a regular part of a student’s day.
For more
information about this, contact Sherry Lyons at 484-3431 or send
an e-mail to nhofficemanager@bellsouth.net.
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