Packet kids learn the news biz on ‘Take Our Kids to Work Day’ Princeton Packet employees welcomed 22 kids to ‘Take Our Kids
to Work Day’ on a beautiful day Thursday to learn about the newspaper business
and meet some special guests, including a K-9 officer, an author/illustrator
and two sports mascots.
The kids, who range in age from 5 to 12, began the day with
a group photo taken by Packet staff photographer Mark Czajkowski. The kids were
divided into several groups, including interns, press workers, artists, scanners,
reporters, photographers, and account executives. Each had special tasks that
they did throughout the day. Photographers Emily Bruinooge and Mary Joyce Brodowski
could be seen snapping pictures all day.
Then they headed upstairs to learn about advertising and sketched
out their ideas for an actual ad with representatives from Toys R Us and Thomas
Sweet and Packet employees Christine Girandola, Scott Bruinooge and Thomas Fritts,
among many others. Some of the kids went to work on building the ad with the
production department and everyone enjoyed some doughnuts.
Princeton Borough and state police then paid a visit with
some of their own children and talked to kids about safety and laws. Then everyone
headed outside to meet K-9 Chase, a German shepherd who specializes in sniffing
out explosives. The kids helped Chase get ready for a day at work and then watched
him obey commands from his partner, Trooper Louis Bucchere.
The next guest was author and illustrator Dar Hosta, who led
a presentation showing how she creates and publishes children’s books and how
she creates art with paint and paper cut-outs.
Everyone took a break for pizza and soda at the picnic tables
before heading back inside to meet Boomer, the Trenton Thunder baseball team’s
mascot, and Rivet, the mascot of the Titans.
Dawn Apisa showed the kids how to create classified ads for
the special Kid’s Day Classifieds page and then everyone wound down with game
time, with Dawn, Mary Brodowski, Thomas Fritts. They learned how to have fun
with newsprint making hats, paper airplanes, and coloring on large rolls
of newsprint. Then it was time for a snack from Thomas Sweet.
As the day ended, Scott Bruinooge demonstrated how plates
are made and readied for press, and the new issue of Packet Talk rolled off
the presses.
Everyone went home with their own issue of the newspaper they
helped to build and a goody bag.