The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School student newspaper The High School View took top honors with a first place award in the All-New England category in Division II from the New England Scholastic Press Association (NESPA). The award was announced May 1 by Helen F. Smith, NESPA executive director, during the organization’s annual conference at Boston University.

While the school’s student newspaper shared top honors in 2007, this year the students were the sole winner of the award.

“The newspaper has made all of us grow. There are so many deadlines and responsibilities that we are all actually accountable for; it’s a microcosm of the real world,” said co-editor in chief Eliza Gowell in a prepared statement. Ms. Gowell and co-editor in chief Sophie Lew worked with a staff of 35 students, including four junior high students who participated in a new journalism internship program.

Seven regional high school students received individual special achievement awards for excellence in scholastic journalism. Janelle Fortes and Taylor Stone won for masthead artwork, while Kayla Montambault, Sophie Lew, Chelsea Counsell and Eliza Gowell all won recognition for their written work.

English department chairman Dan Sharkovitz has been student newspaper adviser since 1995.