I remember the first time I saw my work in print… I was so excited. Granted it was a picture of a parking lot under construction and my editor sent me back out three times before they accepted the image but the end result was so rewarding. I pretty much clipped all my my images out of the paper for the next year, big or small, the excitement never wore off.

Those memories came rushing back as I sat in Ms. Thompson’s classroom on a recent Thursday afternoon. The Summerville Journal Scene staff brought in copies of the Turtle Times — hot of the press.

The Journal Scene partnered with the Adopt-A-Teacher program at Summerville Elementary to teach students about the newspaper process. The paper, along with other area businesses, helped bring “real world experience” into the classrooms. The program is an initiative that pairs individuals, businesses or civic groups with specific classrooms to teach students about different jobs.

The Journal Scene worked with Ms. Thompson’s 5th grade class to write, photograph and design ads for the Turtle Times.

Ben Fowler, dressed as Albert Einstein, receives his press pass and certificate for his work producing the Turtle Times.

After months of work on the newspaper, copies of the Turtle Times awaited the students as they returned from the library. They don’t usually come to class dressed as important historical figures but they were participating in a wax museum in the library.

Its not everyday you get to meet Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth or all the members of the Beatles much less work with them on a newspaper!

So, as the historically-dressed students came bouncing into the room, the finished copy of the newspaper waited for them. They ran to their desks and started flipping through looking for the stories they wrote, the photos they took or the advertisement they designed. I never knew people could be so loud while reading a newspaper.

Students find a cake designed to look like a copy of the Turtle Times.

When you are a part of a newspaper, nothing beats holding the final product in your hand. The feel of the pages and the smell of the ink are so rewarding not to mention the hours of fun you can have with silly pudding later. Now days, as publications make the shift to online editions, I feel for the new reporters and photographers who may never experience the feel of their newspaper in their ink stained hands.

I am so glad these students got to experience that feeling — something I never forgot the first time I saw my picture in print and hopefully something they will cherish as well.

Members of Ms. Thompson’s 5th grade class with their copies of the Turtle Times.

What will the students take away from this experience? Hopefully a sense of accomplishment and maybe a better understanding of life in the real world. For the summer at least, they can show their friends and family the first ever edition of the Turtle Times.

You can see the online edition of the Turtle Times as well as a photo gallery and extra student photos.