Editor’s note: Only the first names of some of the students mentioned in this story are being used at the request of Riverview School.
A family trip to visit the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. didn’t deter seventh grader Lois Brooks from being part of the daily student newscast at Riverview School on Feb. 6.
Her friends and fellow Riverview Morning Announcements news team members quickly got her on a phone video chat so that she could read her usual opening and closing segments via video broadcast to all of the classrooms in the school.
It happened to be National Frozen Yogurt Day, “A perfect excuse to enjoy a delicious and refreshing treat!,” Brooks proclaimed before handing things over to Abner for an announcement in Spanish.
“Hoy es el Día Nacional del Optimismo, un gran recordatoria para ver el lado positivo y enfocarnos en lo bueno de la vida,” Abner shared, or, “Today is National Optimism Day, a great reminder to look on the bright side and focus on the good things in life.”
Elizabeth, Daniel and Alex then gave the morning sports report.
Big day there, as the surprise NBA trade of Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers was top of mind on the national front, while Elizabeth reported on the Riverview Ospreys girls basketball team.
Penelope, Donna, Tatum and Elizabeth closed things out with the day’s weather, the school lunch menu, school birthday wishes and a riddle, before Brooks signed off.
It’s all part of the morning routine at Riverview School, a pre-K through eighth grade dual language school of the Roaring Fork School District located south of Glenwood Springs near the Ironbridge neighborhood.
STEM teacher Joe Hook facilitates the brief, student-led news broadcast, which began last school year. It’s a way to promote school unity and celebrate bilingualism, he said.
“We alternate the announcements between Spanish and English, so it’s a fun way to learn both languages,” he said.
The news broadcast began last school year with only a handful of students, and has grown this school year to include a news team of about a dozen middle school students, grades six through eight.
“We just thought it would be a good way to start the morning off for the whole school, doing something that was very informative about things going on in the school, and throughout the country and the world,” Hook said.
“It’s important to share useful information, like what they’re having for lunch, and celebrating birthdays,” he continued. “The kids always get excited to hear whose birthday it is.”
If there isn’t a student or staff birthday on a given day, they’ll celebrate a celebrity birthday.
“Earlier this week it was Rosa Parks’ birthday, so we had a little segment about her,” Hook said.
They’ve also begun incorporating a breathing exercise for the student body to participate in before the news gets rolling.
“We talk a lot about norms, so it’s a good way to get them all prepared for the day and what the expectations are,” he said.
Brooks has become a bit of a celebrity herself as she navigates the hallways, and it’s apparent the younger students look up to her.
“I first got involved when we started doing mixed crews, with sixth, seventh and eighth grade, instead of just sixth,” Brooks said. “It was a great way to do things with the whole middle school, like student council and yearbook.”
When she was in fifth grade, she and her classmates were interviewed about what crew they would like to be in when they got to sixth grade. Morning announcements was one of the choices.
“I thought that would be a cool experience, and it was a great way to become a public speaker,” she said. “And it’s just a fun thing to do.”
Penelope is in charge of finding out the weather forecast for the day and sharing that with the students.
“It’s good to know what it’s going to be like outside for recess before everybody else knows,” she said, admitting though that the forecast isn’t always accurate.
Peyton Watson, a sixth grader, is an alternate on the newscast and often gets to use the clapperboard to indicate when the news team is live.
“It’s just fun to come in here and spend time with my friends in the morning and talk to them before we go to class,” she said.
Abner likes being able to share information in Spanish.
“We have a large Hispanic community here, and a lot mostly speak Spanish so it’s good to help them understand what’s in the news today,” Abner said.
Added Alexander, “It’s also just something to look forward to every morning.”
The video broadcast airs throughout the building while students are finishing their breakfast.
“It’s a shining example of how we elevate student voices and give them a platform to showcase their leadership,” Riverview Principal Adam Volek said. “This initiative is a testament to the power of student agency, and it also highlights the superpower of being bilingual.”