Opinion : The joys of junior journalism for the not-so junior journalist

Everyone once in a while, you hear an old song that is new to you, and it brings perspective to your life.

Like "Partners, Brothers and Friends."

The song is from 1985, and a band with a strange name: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. (Hear that song HERE)

The song is a fun and kinda funny reflection on being in the music business, and the tough times the band had survived over its previous 20 years together.

It's funny but as I listen to that song again now, it does not remind me of musicians, or the past.

It reminds me of the present, and a group of gifted people with another talent: Writing.

Every Tuesday that the schedule allows, I spend an hour or so with a dozen or so young writers. Most of them are about age 12.

I told them on Tuesday about the comments we've received about their stories. I told them that soon people will not be saying, "Wow, those Junior Journalists write good stories for sixth graders. I told them I hoped people would say (and it seems they are): "Wow, those Junior Journalists write good stories -- period."

We have only been doing the Jr. Journalism thing for about 3 months, counting the first few weeks of the end of the 2009-2010 school year.

I stole the idea from a Dallas, Texas online newspaper, which has a Jr. Reporter program for high school students. Since our high school already has a journalism class with a school paper and yearbook, I decided to check into the possibility of a middle school program. I thought Junior Journalist was more accurate -- and alliterate -- then Junior Reporters.

I mentioned my idea to Mr. Timmermans. He said talk to Kathy Turner, the ELP teacher.

I did.

Mrs. T only had one question: "When do we start?"

"Now, I guess," was my answer.

We had a nice beginning, with a handful of writers and photographers in the spring.

But as school began this year, we have had a great start. The class of about four is now about a dozen. We have so much to do that we spend our hour together writing, editing and planning stories, rather than just talking about journalism. The kids have taken their cameras and notebooks to a variety of places and they love to share their insights, photos and stories.

But what's all that got to do with a 25-year-old song about a band?

That song ends with the following words: "It's great to be part of something so good that's lasted so long."

As we begin this Jr. Journalism thing, I can see now that it's going to be something that can and will last for a long time. While some of the kids may choose other activities from among the many available to them at school and in our community, I get the feeling that many of them really, really, love this writing thing. It won't surprise me at all if you read articles by these young writers for years to come.

It's amazing each week to find out what these youngsters want to write about, and how well they can put those things into words.

And to use a quote from an even older song, "We've only just begun."