APTOS — When news breaks, rest assured that 10-year-old kid reporter Ella Porter is on the story.
Ella is one of 45 young journalists from 10 countries who were recently chosen to write for the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps.
Scholastic News, a publication for young people, is distributed to classrooms around the world with an estimated circulation of 25 million. By comparison, the San Francisco Chronicle’s circulation is a paltry 227,000.
The newspaper bills itself as offering “news for kids, by kids,” with coverage of a wide range of stories from their hometowns and nationally.
A fifth grader at Twin Lakes Christian School, Ella’s extracurricular activities include gymnastics and swimming. She is ambivalent about math and social studies. She is quite clear, however, about her current life’s passion.
“I figured out when I was in third grade that I really like writing,” she said. “It kinda helped me use my imagination more. I just kept with it, and I just kept writing more and more.”
Ella’s application to Scholastic, Inc. included a personal biography, along with a feature story on Second Harvest Food Bank in Watsonville. She was also required to send in two ideas for future stories. These included one on the California Ocean Alliance, a nonprofit organization based in Aptos, and on a little-known area in which fossilized shark teeth can be found.
Kid reporters range from 10-14. They are chosen based on writing ability, interviewing skills, and attention to detail.
For her current story on wildfires and what kids can do to prevent them, Ella has so far interviewed a fire chief and a firefighter.
Ella’s fourth-grade teacher Monica Pitts described her as a tenacious student who always accomplishes the goals she sets for herself.
“She is one of my best students,” Pitts said. “She is great at everything she does. She is kindhearted and loves to write. She is just very well-rounded.”
Ella said she was “really excited” when she learned she had made the cut.
“I didn’t really understand it in the beginning but then when I thought about it I was like, ‘wow. I’m one of 45 kid reporters in the world who got chosen.’”
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To see Scholastic News, visit www.scholastic.com/kidspress.
