Gifted students at Wexford Elementary School see the world in black and white.

Last fall, teacher Jan Montgomery integrated a unit on newspapers into the curriculum and transformed her classroom into a mini-media empire.

The first- through fifth-graders -- who usually flip on a TV or computer for up-to-the-minute information -- have gradually come to appreciate the simple pleasure of leafing through a broadsheet on a lazy Sunday afternoon, inky fingers and all.

Montgomery's pupils even created their own periodical, the GATE Gazette, giving students a medium in which to express themselves.

Alex Kampas' first foray into journalism was an expose on the secret lives of hermit crabs.

Reporter Caroline Surratt scored an exclusive interview with an FBI agent.

Other hot topics in the GATE ranged from leprechauns and Nintendo Wii to the New England Patriots undefeated season (an article that needed a slight revision before going to print).

All of the students used disposable cameras to document noteworthy events in their homes and neighborhoods, producing stories in images rather than words.

On March 5, staff members from the Rampage, Pine-Richland High School's newspaper, visited Montgomery's class to give their elementary counterparts the scoop on being a teenage journalist.

"I invited the high school kids to come down and share their writing experiences," Montgomery says. "I thought it would put a nice ending on our unit."

Published once a month, the Rampage covers district news, sports and entertainment, and offers opinions and in-depth features. Official press passes give staffers unlimited access to Pine-Richland events and freedom from hall monitors.

"No one's going to stop you in the hallway when you're on a mission to get a story," says Emily Hitechew, sports co-editor.

About 300 copies of each edition are printed and sold for 50 cents apiece, but the writers are more interested in generating discussion than profit.

On publication day, the hallways and lunchroom are abuzz as students flip through the pages.

The 12-member staff is composed entirely of seniors who are enrolled in a two-part journalism course taught by English department chairwoman Lisa Erb and computer resource teacher Sue Baillie. Journalism 1 covers the nuts and bolts of the newspaper biz. Journalism 2 puts those lessons into action.

At the beginning of each month, staffers hold a brainstorming session, write ideas on a whiteboard and dole out assignments.

Staffers are graded on the number of points they earn in a month, with 100 points equaling an A. Feature articles, for instance, are worth 40 points, photographs are 10 and a perfectly designed page racks up 50 points.

Through this system, all participants get to dabble in every aspect of the newspaper business, from writing and editing to layout.

Pine-Richland provides the students with a $5,000 budget and the latest technology and software programs, giving Rampage members a competitive edge should they decide to pursue a career in the field.

"A lot of our students were able to step into editorial positions at their college newspapers because of the skills they learned at Pine-Richland," Erb says. "They don't realize how much they know until they get to college."

Montgomery's son worked for the Rampage and is now editor of a newspaper, proving that the best way to learn is by doing.

Before the Rampage staff returns to the high school, they enjoy a mid-morning snack with their proteges. Montgomery's small room suddenly resembles a newspaper office on deadline: a loud, boisterous madhouse teeming with excitement.

It's an experience that will, no doubt, make the front page of the next GATE Gazette.