Columbia Elementary’s News Crew shines behind the camera

While most students are gathering in the cafeteria for lunch and heading outside for recess, 10 dedicated fifth graders are busy behind the scenes — setting up green screens, checking scripts, and hitting record. They’re the heart of Columbia Elementary’s News Crew, a student-run team that produces the school’s daily announcements with creativity, collaboration, and confidence.

These young broadcasters aren’t just reading from a teleprompter, they’re learning to plan, film, and edit their own segments, gaining real-world skills and unforgettable memories along the way. Guiding them each step of the journey is Darcy Miller, who has led the News Crew for the past eight years.

"Seeing the kids grow and become more confident. It is so much fun to be with these kids. They giggle, mess up, and then when they are put into this position, they just flourish. They get so excited," said Miller.

Each spring, fourth graders at Columbia Elementary look forward to trying out for one of the most anticipated clubs in the school, the News Crew. Any student entering fifth grade in the fall is welcome to audition. From there, 10 students are selected and split into five teams of two, with each pair assigned a specific weekday. Those teams are responsible for putting together that day’s announcements — from planning and filming to helping create fun, engaging segments for the school to enjoy.

This year’s talented team includes Hendrix Sickles, Eva Johnson, Raelynn Fawcett, Livia Barton, Reegan Lloyd, Renee Harrod, Will Thompson, Gunnar Brunson, Maddie Beatty, and Cohen Prince. Kids often come up to Mrs. Miller and say they’ve wanted to be on the News Crew since kindergarten. It’s a goal many students dream of long before they get the chance to audition.

Being part of the News Crew means giving up lunch and recess time. However, students are still able to eat their packed or hot lunch before or after filming. While this might seem like a big commitment, each crew member said it was worth it. Raelynn Fawcett shared that her favorite part is editing and missing recess because she doesn’t like recess that much. Eva Johnson enjoys editing and hanging out with friends, while Hendrix Sickles said his favorite thing is filming. Livia Barton enjoys taking pictures of people because she enjoys seeing them happy to be on the announcements.

The announcement production starts with scripts, mostly written by Columbia staff members. However, students like Raelynn, Eva, and Renee have also had the opportunity to write scripts themselves, which adds a special personal touch to their work. Once the scripts are ready, each team has a week to plan, film, and put together their videos. They set up the green screen, rehearse, and upload their footage into editing software.

Livia Barton explained the importance of reading the script before hitting the button because otherwise, the teleprompter won’t scroll properly. Eva Johnson added that sometimes they must improvise when the teleprompter moves too slowly. Miller encourages the students to bring their personalities into the announcements but keeps things under control to maintain a professional feel.

Miller said students practice the announcements once beforehand, and by the end of the year, they get one shot to record their segment. Cohen Prince said, "I have learned how to be responsible and how to get my work done on time"; while Raelynn emphasized the importance of smooth transitions between segments to avoid looking rushed. Will Thompson shared that this experience has helped him become a better reader, and Gunnar Brunson said it has inspired him to possibly create his own YouTube videos in the future. Reegan Lloyd believes the skills she’s learning will help with future class presentations.

Getting in front of the camera can be intimidating at first. Reegan Lloyd recalled feeling nervous but hoped for the best during her first announcements. Renee Harrod shared that while she no longer feels nervous, she sometimes still feels a little awkward. Eva Johnson admits that sometimes she feels embarrassed about her voice but has learned it’s okay to make mistakes because her friends are supportive. Over time, many students agree that the experience has helped them become more confident, both on camera and in everyday life. Eva said that at first, she was very nervous but now it feels normal. Will Thompson feels less nervous speaking in front of large crowds, and Eva added that the News Crew has helped her with social skills because she gets nervous meeting new people.

In addition to daily announcements, the crew produces fun segments such as "Laugh with the Staff," where students interview staff members to uncover amusing trivia. Will Thompson enjoys this segment the most. Students also get the chance to add their own ideas — Maddie Beatty mentioned they sometimes write new ideas, and Cohen Prince said they add more details to make the announcements fun.

Miller tries to balance allowing the kids’ creativity to shine while keeping things orderly. The News Crew also shared some memorable moments from their time in the club. Renee said she will never forget the first time she saw herself on the big screen. Maddie recalled a funny moment when she stuttered, Cohen reminisced dancing in the hallway and accidentally spilling a lunch tray, and Reegan shared stumbling over words during her first filming attempts.

On Oct. 3, Maddie Beatty and Cohen Prince were both anchors in front of the green screen. With enthusiasm, they filmed their weekly announcements, including information about upcoming events like the Fall Fest. 

As the school year progresses, many crew members were already thinking about what they’ll miss most when they move on to middle school. Cohen said he will miss spending time with everyone. Eva stated that the News Crew is a “little family” she will miss dearly. Reegan said she will miss filming, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and having fun. Livia said she will miss laughing with her News Crew friends, and Maddie said she will miss break dancing in the hallway and filming since those opportunities aren’t available in the sixth grade. When asked if they would miss Mrs. Miller, the entire crew answered with actions — rushing to her side and wrapping her in a big group News Crew hug!

The News Crew has become more than just a club at Columbia Elementary — it’s a launchpad for teamwork, creativity, and personal growth. It’s a chance for students to be heard and to learn important life skills that will help them long after the cameras stop rolling.

With green screens behind them and their segments coming to life on screen, Columbia’s News Crew continues to broadcast brilliance — one video at a time.