The Flyer

With less than a week into our idea, it was already time to set things in motion. A flyer needed to be created for the families of our two first-grade classrooms. They were being invited to join the zine.

And so, we did it old-school--just like how it will be done for the first issue of Fried Eagle.

The plan is to produce a beta copy of the zine before school gets out. With only seven weeks left, we're under a strict timeline. But since we were able to accomplish this much in less than a week, there's no doubt we'll make it.

We don't have a meeting space secured at the school yet. A couple of requests have gone out to the teachers asking if we could borrow their classroom for an hour. The worst case is that our first gathering will be on the playground (with crossed fingers that it doesn't rain).

Regardless, here's to the hope that more families will be involved.

The Founders

It was the first hot day in a long time, so the popsicles came out. But it wasn't just for fun and games. The foursome had met for a greater purpose: to create a name.

There was the brainstormed list. And lots of votes to narrow things down (and lots of time in between when they lost interest). But eventually, the boys had to choose from:

Fried Chicken
Full Speed Power
Eagles
Eagle Eye
Soar

It wasn't such an easy decision.

And then there was a stand-off between the final two.

And finally, Fried Chicken won.

But the boys were dissatisfied. After all, Eagles was a pretty cool name for a zine, too.

But so was Fried Chicken.

Maybe it was the heat. Or perhaps the joy of seeing the sun. Or just the silliness of boys. But when the oldest one suggested Fried Eagle, the other three became excited and yelled, "Fried Eagle! Fried Eagle!"

Could we do that? Could we name a zine Fried Eagle? Truth be told, we can do anything we want. More importantly, we have to uphold our promise to have this zine entirely youth-lead.

And so it is.

And there you have it.

The Reasons

Naturally, engaging students in the creation of an indie zine comes with several important reasons.

First, large classroom sizes affect students' ability to learn (not to mention, over-work our teachers). Creating a zine from beginning to end, is service-learning at its best. Our children will learn how to plan, write, edit, work independently and together in groups, research, interview, prioritize deadlines, etc., etc. (the list goes on). And the best part: all of this hard work culminates in a tangible product--a zine--of which they can feel proud.

(And then they get to do it all over again.)

Second, there is a lack of extracurricular activities at our school site. Having a dedicated day and time for the on-site creation of a zine builds synergy among our children, teachers, parents and community. Everyone benefits. This is demonstrated by the results of our county's SUN (School's Uniting Neighborhoods) model. Our public space is under-used, but it has the potential to be filled with meaningful activities that challenge students and enhance their learning in the classroom.

Third, Portland Public Schools faces a $27.5 million gap for the 2012-13 school year. In order to make up this loss, fundraising is key. Students can help by selling their zine to our community. While zine sales is a very small drop in a very large pond, our children will feel a greater sense of purpose. And our school will receive funds. After all, every bit counts.

Finally, the creation of a zine meets 19 of the 40 Developmental Assets for Middle Childhood. These 19 assets are:

3. Other adult relationships
5. Caring school climate
6. Parent involvement in schooling
7. Community values youth
8. Children as resources
14. Adult role models
15. Positive peer influence
16. High expectations
17. Creative activities
18. Child programs
22. Learning engagement
24. Bonding to school
25. Reading for pleasure
27. Equality and social justice
28. Integrity
32. Planning and decision making
37. Personal power
39. Sense of purpose
40. Positive view of personal future

Developmental assets are building blocks for lifetime success. While a zine won't change the world, just like other positive activities, it has the potential to increase our children's resiliency and to help them thrive.

After all--and as said before--every bit counts.

The Beginning

This beginning isn't kind. It's cruel.

Our school district is faced with a gap of $27.5 million.

And when principals from all around Portland are faced with a gap of $27.5 million, they do the only thing they can. Cut jobs, increase student-to-teacher ratios, try to do more with less (at least, that's the hope). They also rely on parents. Thankfully, at our school, that's a hope that feels solid and concrete. Yes, we can count on each other.

And so it happened recently on a rainy day when only three parents showed up for our monthly Parent Coffee that we got to talking. And talking. And talking. And it felt like one hour had passed when it was more like two. And by the end of our meeting, we had talked ourselves into an idea.

Sure, why not?

Of course, there are millions of reasons to disengage. It's easy to blame someone else and to shake our fists at the economy and bureaucratic inefficiencies. But we have to consider our children. And if it weren't for them, things might have ended differently, but it didn't. Because this is the beginning.

This is the beginning of our hope.

This is the beginning of our zine.