by the Oracle Staff

When Oracle went fully virtual in 2014, we had arrived at a new phase of online reporting, including live updates during the onset (and overnight) of “Snowmageddon.” When Covid caused physical school shutdowns and worldwide “wild west” online schooling in March of 2020, we posted school and county information as quickly as we could, and became a hub for student expression via “Echo Presents,” the online version of our school’s literary magazine when it could no longer physically publish. Oracle continued this trend the following year when learning went “hybrid,” with two-thirds of the student body online and only one-third attending school in person.

With a return to full in-person learning, and Oracle’s expansion to a mostly new staff of 8 (plus two freelancers) during classroom time, we are at a crossroads of communications and student journalism learning. The school itself now has a strong team of dedicated staff members and teachers posting news almost daily to the school’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Website and Principal’s weekly email; in addition, the school’s PTO maintains a Facebook group for parents, and individual teachers and staff share their own online posts, “likes,” and Tweets frequently. There is so much news being generated about the school, that it’s hard to keep up.

As our newly-minted staff class only meets during a set period every other day during this year’s block schedule, Oracle has dedicated itself to the job is to staying focused on student-centered views, news analysis, reviews, and entertainment, rather than straightforward news reporting. Oracle has transformed into a site that includes the school’s A/V class video news, with regular student columns, reviews, and frequent podcasts, and is adapting the way it creates and present original art, photos, and cartoons. We have expanded our curriculum to include a focus on student press and first amendment freedoms, and feature guest speakers from local news affiliates and organizations, including WSB, CNN, WABE, and the Mercer school of Journalism. We have continued a partnership of live sessions with VOXATL for course enrichment, and strive to bring more focus on student journalism to the student body and the community. We also post updates for students, including contests, events, and raffles that we hope get more students’ attention. The Oracle continues to link posts to Twitter and plans to reinstate its Instagram. (Our Facebook site, once maintained, no longer draws student interest). Oracle is first and foremost a site for North Springs students and their peers.

The Oracle serves as a hub where readers can find out more about the school from its own sources and community connections, as Oracle stays focused on in-depth student news, op-eds, and views. If you are a staff member or student organization that would like additional promotion of your class, club, or otherwise, or a student who wants to contribute, please drop us a line and let us know at Oracle2016@gmail.com.

North Springs Oracle Student Web Paper: https://nscreativity.com/

North Springs School website: https://www.fultonschools.org/northspringshs

North Springs Facebook page: @northspringshigh

North Springs Twitter feed: @NSSpartans

North Springs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northspringshighschool/?hl=en

Fulton County Schools website: http://www.fultonschools.org

Fulton County Schools Facebook: @FultonCountySchools