EDUCATION
Dames Ferry Elementary School’s Broadcast News Team has started the year off strong, reporting and showing what is going on at the school each week by working together and putting their best foot forward.
Brooke Henson, media specialist at Dames Ferry Elementary School, said she is proud of each student who wanted to be a part of the broadcast news team. She said making the decision on which students got to be a part of the team was extremely difficult.
“There was a broadcast news team at my previous school, so I took that over and got the experience. It was a great way to give extra announcements at the school, to give extra information and the kids loved doing it,” she said. “When I started here at Dames Ferry last year, having a broadcast news team was something I wanted to have. I wasn’t sure if it would be a success or not, but there was a huge response.”
She said the students really enjoy having the Dames Ferry Broadcast News Team a part of the school. She said it helps the students on the team feel like an integral part of the school, because it gives them a job to do. She said it’s a great experience for each student no matter their role or if they made the team, because they tried something new.
“My favorite thing about this is having a smaller group of students I can form a close relationship with. In running the media center, you serve the entire school, and you don’t always have the opportunity to build those strong close connections. I get to work with these kids weekly until the end of the school year, so we do form a close bond over time,” Henson said.
Chloe Blash, a fifthgrade student who is an anchor on the broadcast news team, said her role is to tell people about the news and weather at Dames Ferry Elementary School. She said her role is important, because she wants to keep the school updated on what is going on.
“I wanted to be on the broadcast team, because I wanted to help the school and be a part of something that will help the school. I can make people happy,” the student said. “My favorite part of being an anchor is telling people what is happening and putting a smile on their face.”
Sutton Lord, another fifth grader who is the producer on the broadcast news team, said she helps manage the team. She said her role is important, because she can help team members who might mess up and they can ask her questions.
“I wanted to be on the team, because I like helping people. I wanted to help our school, and I thought this would be a fun team. I think being a part of the broadcast news team will help my future, because I want to be a teacher and this helps me learn about how to help others,” the producer said.
Henson said the students learn teamwork and reliability by being a part of the broadcast news team, because they all have to work together each week cohesively and be there. She said they also learn how to be leaders while remaining respectful and tactful.
“You have several students who are a part of the team for the camaraderie and the team building, but you see others who have that spark for this,” the media specialist said. “Some of them certainly have a love for the job, so I could see some of them going on to be on CNN or another news channel someday.”
Jordan Ham, a fifth grader who is the anchor’s mentor on the broadcast news team, said she helps motivate and give advice to the anchors. She said her role is important, because she can help the anchors understand their roles and give them positive feedback.
“I wanted to be on the team, because I always wanted to be a journalist or a writer. This helps me get some practice in, plus being a part of the broadcast news team is fun,” she said. “This is kind of like a practice run for what will happen on a real news channel. I know it’s different, but I think it helps me get some practice for the real thing.”
