photo by Sam

During the 2025–26 school year, Falk launched the Middle School Press Team, a student-led initiative built to foster photojournalism skills and capture the on-field and behind-the-scenes successes of the Falk athletics program. Inspired by Middle School photography classes and driven by student interest in journalism, the crew consists of ten members and is a perfect opportunity to delve into the fast-paced world of reporting. 

For many years, Falk librarian Benoni Outerbridge taught a photography unit that led seventh-grade students through the basics of camera operation and composition. Throughout the course, they would complete a series of photo assignments, experimenting with settings like shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. 

When Falk Middle School transitioned to elective-based courses this year, he began offering Photos and Film, an even deeper dive into camera work. Seeing how popular this class is, school counselor Sarah Faulx came up with the idea for a student-led press team—a way to put photography skills into practice while fostering community and engagement around the school. 

photo by Sophie

Throughout the winter, the newly established Press Team covered both boys and girls basketball, sitting courtside at every home game to capture the action. "The work doesn't stop when the buzzer sounds,” Faulx adds. “Following the games, these students act as editors and curators. They review their shots, editing the images for quality and to highlight our school spirit.” 

The selected shots are then printed and posted in the Middle School hallways, celebrating not only Falk's athletes but also fans, coaches, and the student workers who operate the scoreboard and keep track of stats during the games. In February, the Press Team also had a sportsmanship challenge, where each member was tasked with capturing Falk sportsmanship in a single photo.

photo by Sam

At the end of the winter basketball season, they put together a special display honoring Falk’s eighth-grade players, and throughout the spring, they’ll continue honing their photography skills by covering the co-ed ultimate frisbee team. 

Evie, a seventh grader, says the opportunity to practice her photography skills is the reason she decided to join the Press Team this year. “I didn’t previously have a lot of experience with taking photos, and I wanted to have that.” A fun bonus, she adds, is that it’s been a blast interacting with the players. “They all want to take really funny pictures, and I got some really funny ones.” 

Isaac, another seventh grader, says many of his friends are on the basketball team, which makes for a fun experience.  "I like basketball a lot, and I like to take photos of my friends and show [the photos] to them. That’s probably my favorite part—showing them and seeing how much they like them.” 

Right now, the Press Team meets weekly during lunch and recess in addition to attending afternoon games. Faulx says she’s impressed by the students’ dedication and hopes to officially add the Press Team to the Middle School club roster next trimester. This shift would allow the group to meet during dedicated club time on Friday mornings, making it accessible to even more students. 

Congratulations to the Press Team on their first successful season!