Updated: 11/07/2024 to add a quote from Pepper Johnson.

Morning starts early at Oyster River Middle School (ORMS), especially for the students in the Announcements Club who every morning, arrive at school ready to share the day’s news.

Shown in every classroom on every school day, morning announcements are broadcasted in real-time from the recording studio located in the school’s library.

The club’s advisor and ORMS librarian, Mr. Bellows, assists students with organizing their daily agenda and making sure the studio is ready to accommodate the team. The announcements production is entirely managed by students who operate all the equipment, from the cameras to the console.

Of the experience, 8th grade student and producer Pepper Johnson said: “It’s creative chaos. But it gives kids opportunities to try different roles and jobs. It takes the whole team to get it going.”

ORMS daily announcements usually start with a greeting from the news anchor, followed by the daily Bobcat Café menu and weather forecast. Other special announcements are sometimes included, such as a coming dance’s information, or details regarding other clubs or activities.

“An amazing thing I get to witness is, when something goes wrong, and something almost always does, in a very short amount of time the team must work together to identify the issue and/or develop and implement a solution", Mr. Bellows said of the team's collaborative work. "And the students almost always figure out how to get the show to air. Don’t get me wrong – a flawless production is the goal and a great thing to watch the team pull off, but how well these kids problem solve is something I really appreciate about them.”

Due to high demand, the Announcements Club is currently only open to students of grades 6 to 8.

The Announcements Club crew sometimes welcomes special guests, such as Superintendent Shaps (pictured).

The team must sometimes get creative with the space; news anchors will lay down to make room for Ms. Kate to share the weather forecast.

Students manage every aspect of the production, set the day’s agenda, and operate the equipment.