Students build confidence and community with ‘Eagle Eye News’

Every morning, Shoemaker Elementary students tune in to a special broadcast: "Eagle Eye News." 

The program is more than just school announcements—it's a fully student-run production that is broadcast live via Zoom to the whole school and shared on the school’s social media page.

This year, about 50 fifth graders are involved in the program. There is an audition process, however, the key requirement isn't perfection, but rather excitement and a desire to learn something new. Students can sign up to be new anchors, news directors, or both.

Wendy Cremers, Library Media Specialist at Shoemaker Elementary, sponsors the program. She said the student crew arrives at 7:45 a.m. each morning to practice their lines and set up. The show goes live at 8:00 a.m., with the students managing the entire production. Roles rotate weekly, and one veteran member stays on each week to train the new group, ensuring a smooth transition and continuous learning.

“They teach each other how to run the news, which is a really cool part of it,” Cremers expressed. “I just kind of stand back, give guidance if they need it, but they run the show,” she said.

"Eagle Eye News" is a hands-on learning experience that develops crucial real-world skills.

Anchors focus on communication skills, specifically reading fluency — reading smoothly with expression — and speaking skills like clarity, projection, and maintaining eye contact with the camera.

Directors take charge of the technology, running the camera, managing the Zoom meeting, and providing crucial feedback. They use a "glow and grow" method to offer immediate, constructive critique to the Anchors before the team goes live.

For many participants, Cremers said the biggest gain is confidence. 

“[The best part is] seeing the kids that sometimes come in who are not very confident, become really confident and excited,” Cremers shared. “There are sometimes shy kids that sign up and they're not even sure if they want to do it or not, but then they get up there and they get on camera, and you see a whole new side to them. That's really awesome to see,” she said.

The program is a huge source of excitement for the entire student body. Younger students eagerly anticipate the year they will be eligible as fifth graders, and new show intros are often met with cheers from classrooms.

Beyond the school walls, "Eagle Eye News" serves as a vital community link. The daily broadcasts are posted to the school’s social media, allowing parents to tune in and share their appreciation. 

“It's something fifth graders look forward to. It's a privilege for them to be able to be on it, and I know the parents love it too,” Cremers said. 

This privilege for 5th graders has become a tradition, strengthening relationships between the school, its students, and the community.

“We post on Facebook every day, and so I get little text messages or emails once in a while about something they saw on the news,” Cremers shared, “It's a great way to reach out to the community and build some relationships on that end, too.”

 

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