The Curious George, George School’s student newspaper, received Gold Medalist standing from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). Gold is the highest level awarded as part of the association’s Scholastic Print News Critique process, which assesses school newspapers in the areas of essentials, verbal, and visual content.

This is the first time the school has submitted the newspaper for Medalist Critique judging by the association, which is affiliated with the Graduate School of Journalism of New York’s Columbia University.

“We entered our publications from 2010-11 in June as a means to get constructive criticism and feedback for the coming year,” says advisor Gretchen Nordleaf-Nelson. “I really enjoy the CSPA critique process because the adjudicator does not just complete a check list, they write detailed comments on what the students do well and the areas in which they would like to see the students grow and stretch their skills.”

“This process has allowed us to take a step back and see our work from a professional's perspective,” said Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme ’13 who serves as assistant editor. “Their comments were encouraging and we are looking forward to tackling their suggestions about editorial and opinion writing.”

“I am very proud of the work our young journalists have produced so far and I think in the coming months the community will see tremendous growth in our student publication," said Gretchen.

Along with The Opus (the yearbook), The Curious George is part of George School’s communication design program, which comprises rigorous courses that can be pursued as part of the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program.