The middle school edition of B-Line focuses on teaching middle schoolers the foundations of journalism. The class offers an encouraging environment and gives students a platform to advocate for themselves. It provides students with the opportunity to improve their writing skills while having fun and expressing themselves.
“It’s a really good environment. The people are great; my class is great. Tt’s a nice class to chill, and you’re always going to find a way to laugh,” says Shreeya Iyer (‘28) about B-Line.
B-Line is arguably one of the most essential classes a middle school student can take. In addition to strengthening your writing, the course gives students a different outlook on writing. Writer’s Workshop and English only teach students how to write an effective essay or creative poem. On the other hand, B-Line teaches students the importance of persuasiveness in writing and how to write an article.
When asked about the reason she joined B-Line, Shria Malay (‘27) says, “The past semester, in Writer’s Workshop, I really enjoyed that class. I felt that writing stories brought joy to me and I wanted to do some journaling.”
On the other hand, Maira Parsons (‘27) said, “I joined B-Line because my sister is editor in chief of her school newspaper and it sounded really fun. So, I wanted to try it.” Despite joining B-Line for very different reasons, the entire class seems to get along very well.
The class structure can be broken down into multiple different aspects. Each month, students are responsible for writing an article. They are given time to conduct interviews throughout the class. However, each week, they are taught smaller lessons by Ms. Scott. These lessons are focused on different aspects of journalism, (ie. political writing) and students are often given a short assignment that is due at the end of the week.
The B-Line class relies heavily on class discussions, both about journalism and outside topics. Duha Azaz (‘27) remarks, “The discussions are very entertaining. Ms. Scott talks, then someone will interrupt, and then someone else will interrupt, then everyone will laugh.”
Malay (‘27) added, “We talk about ourselves and our grievances a lot. Ms. Scott has a slideshow that she uses every day, which has the layout of class.”
Ms. Scott, the teacher for B-Line, helps elevate the enjoyment of the class. She teaches the class in a very independent manner, with long-term deadlines and an abundant amount of class time to work on projects. However, she’s always present to offer help if one needs it. Parsons (‘27) claims that she is, “Literally one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. Hands down, such a sweet person, she’s super easy to talk to, really funny and interesting.”
Ms. Scott shares some insight on how came to teach the B-Line class, “B-Line was passed down to me from Mr. Cook after I started at Barstow. I had a lot to work with and because I share a room with Mr. Cook, he was able to give me a lot of advice my first year. Mr. Holmes also helped me refine the process from there. So now, it’s more online focused, and I do wish we did more print stuff, but it be like that sometimes.”
The middle school edition of B-Line differs slightly from the upper school’s version. Unlike the upper schoolers, who upload near-daily articles, the middle schoolers produce monthly ones. These articles are displayed in a creative newsletter (which the B-Line class designs). Each newsletter is emailed out to students, parents, and staff, so make sure to check your email!
One of middle school B-Line’s biggest flaws is the lack of attention it gets, both with class sizes and readership. Dior Dunn ‘28 says, “More people should join this class because it’s really fun and you get to meet new people.”
Similarly, Ms. Scott declares, “Students will find that they get to express their own thoughts. A lot of the time, children don’t have their thoughts taken seriously by the adults, and one of the great parts of something like B-Line is you get this space to say what you want to say.”
Consider joining B-Line next year! Even if you aren’t the most confident writer, B-Line can significantly improve your abilities. Moreover, B-Line helps students build friendships and gives them time in their day for laughter and joy. Along with that, you get the opportunity to meet Ms. Scott, who is a wonderful teacher and person. Make sure to also support the B-Hive by reading more articles on the B-Line website!
