Usually the first meeting of the month is to stoke up article ideas and think about what will be happening in the school that they might want to report about. Alison and I talk to each student individually about what their own interests are and if they would like to do the piece alone or with others. Articles are then due at the principal's office before the second meeting of the month. At that meeting, the students who have already submitted are asked to read over their articles to make any final corrections and then they can leave. Students who still want to write something are encouraged to sit right down and work on it.
Some students come in with their ideas and are ready to put pencil to paper right away.
Many students want to co-author their pieces with one or two others and they use the time to either think up their interview questions or to talk over their projects with their friends. At one meeting, three students sat together and composed their article and were ready to read it to the whole group at the end of the half hour. While time does not allow us to do the layout as a group, I have asked the students for their feedback and they have made suggestions that I have heeded. For example, they really like to have a brainteaser on the front page. They certainly know the importance of being on the front page, and many of them lobby to have their own articles put there.