When students of the Teal Times newspaper at Aliso Niguel High School publish each Wednesday, they’re not just printing stories, they’re sharing a new perspective. Written and edited by students in the STEPS program, the weekly publication invites readers to focus on the small details on campus while giving its writers a place to express themselves with confidence.
The Teal Times team meets every Wednesday during period five in Room 605. Throughout the week, students collect information by asking questions and observing events related to their writing topic for the week.
The preparation helps the writers plan their stories and organize their ideas. Issues are then written, edited and released the following Wednesday.
“We’ve been doing it for three years now, but it’s really taken off this year,” says Ms. Alex McNamara, the program’s monitor.
She continues, “Dr. Radley and I started it together, and then I’ve taken over. We wanted a place for students to be able to functionally express themselves while practicing and growing in their reading-writing comprehension. We wanted it to be something high-school appropriate and something unified that the whole school could be a part of if they wanted to be.”
For many writers, publishing their work is one of the most exciting parts of the week. Students have subjects that reflect real things happening around them like favorite snacks, school activities, weekend plans, clubs, sports or milestones achieved in class.
Mrs. McNamara explained, “It’s a good way for us to practice streamlining skills. Can we take one skill we’ve learned in our classes and apply that in writing to share with others?”
While the newspaper gives students a chance to improve their academic skills, its impact reaches much farther. Reading stories written by Teal Times reporters helps the wider school community break down misconceptions about intellectual developmental disabilities and understand what inclusion looks like in everyday practice.
For teachers and students who follow each edition, it becomes clear how much effort and creativity the writers put into every article.
The audience for the paper is still growing. “It’s currently only shared within classes and students’ parents, but we would love to share it with the whole school,” Mrs. McNamara says.
Expanding readership would allow more students to see the program’s work, support their efforts and get to know the writers beyond the classroom.
The newspaper also reminds students and staff that everyone on campus has a story worth telling.
Mrs. McNamara continues, “It’s just a regular newspaper. It involves the school and our program. We talk about things that are happening within our community to the best of each individual’s ability. We’re all in the same area, same space. It’s important to come together.”
Beyond storytelling, Teal Times teaches responsibility, collaboration and independence. Writers learn to meet deadlines, revise drafts, communicate ideas and celebrate each other’s accomplishments. Seeing their names in print, often for the first time, gives students a sense of pride that stays with them long after the issue comes out.
As the next edition of Teal Times is prepared in Room 605 this week, students and staff are encouraged to stop by, read a copy and support the writers behind the work. Every article published is an invitation to listen, learn and understand the school community through a new lens, and sometimes, that can be the most meaningful story of all.
