A group of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School fifth graders livened up the morning announcements by taking them to YouTube.
Media Center Specialist Kris Bruno saw the idea for video morning announcements at a conference and thought it was a great idea, she said.
She created the Early Birds Morning Announcement Club. The group aired its first announcements in May 2025. The announcements are broadcast in classrooms.
The club is made up of fifth graders who auditioned for a spot in the group, which meets on Wednesday mornings to create announcements for the upcoming week.
Students write scripts, create backgrounds, and graphics using Canva, run the streaming software, and read the announcements during each broadcast.
Each morning, club members lead the school in saying the Pledge of Allegiance, give a weather forecast, and birthday shout-outs, and read the day’s lunch menu.
Students rotate jobs so they each get a chance to learn different skills.
The first-year club members are:
Alice Reimus, making graphics and backgrounds
Paisley Blanchard, making graphics and backgrounds
April Gray, announcing and writing scripts
Joseph Johnson, announcing and writing scripts
Azrah Saba, announcing and writing scripts
Adelynn Leonhist, producing
Lucas Foster, producing and announcing
Jadon Jurani, reporting on the weather
Chase Paoletti, announcing, producing, and writing scripts
“I love how smart and intuitive the students are,” Bruno said.
Students learn the technical skills of running a YouTube broadcast, but they also learn about public speaking, problem-solving, and reflection.
“I think the club helps them learn how to work as a team to create something for the greater good of the school,” Bruno said.
The club is also fun, according to its members.
Paisley Blanchard and Alice Reimus said they like to create backgrounds using Canva.
“I like that when I joined, we could do actual visual announcements,” said Adelynn Leonhist.
Thomas Jefferson music teacher Rudi Schwerdle also helps with the club.
