Staff reporters of award-winning The Knightly News at Nativity Catholic School in Hollywood will not rest at the top.

''We have a most excellent responsibility to get the word out,'' said Lyda Tesauro, 13.

The 2007-08 school year brought the news team a Silver Award from the Florida Scholastic Press Association and a bronze medal win from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, staff advisor Lynne Brusco Moore said.

The honors mark firsts for the 14-year-old publication that joined the student press organizations only two years ago.

Moore, a Nativity parent, volunteer and former teacher who also leads the school's eighth-grade book club and sixth-grade etiquette class, said the budding journalists enjoy association critiques.

Lyda and reporter Allison Siegel, 13, who earned honorable mentions the first year, took home certificates of excellence last year.

''We take what they say to heart and do our best to improve,'' Moore said.

This year, 23 members of the group showed up at Nativity for a summertime newspaper primer called Top Journalist: Let the Writing Begin.

Moore said the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade reporters spent three mornings competing in writing competitions and grammar quizzes. They also studied local newspapers and tossed questions news-conference style at guest Cameron Benson, Hollywood's city manager.

And before the first Wednesday staff meeting of the new school year, the students began writing about everything under Nativity's roof and more.

''Writing is fun to do when you enjoy what you write about. We sign up for assignments about things we know best,'' said reporter Victoria Molina, 13.

The first issue of The Knightly News will be published this month. Stories will include a one-on-one interview with Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor, an on-scene account of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, updates on the school's sports teams, reports on several campus Mother Theresa Month projects, and a retrospective of the school's first career day featuring WPLG-ABC 10 TV news reporter Calvin Hughes.

But publications also must include stories that are less glamorous, demand strong organizational skills and present interesting writing challenges, such as student government elections and academic competitions, said reporter Victor DeBianchi, 13.

''If our dreams have anything to do with writing, then being on a school newspaper gives us a lot of practice,'' he said.

The job also has perks, said Patrick Fitzgerald, 12.

Kids get to be up front or backstage at events, learn about happenings before everyone else and meet very important people.

Several reporters attended the 2007 Miami Book Fair, where they met favorite authors like Ridley Pearson and hobnobbed with political celebrities like Ralph Nader.

''I love being in on things,'' Patrick said.

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