Welcome to South Bay News (SBN), a student-run news broadcast in which middle school students at South Bay Christian School (SBCS) share relevant and interesting news and campus life stories once a month.
What began last school year as a project with students meeting once a week—often after school—has grown into an elective that middle school students can sign up for each semester. Students choose how they want to participate—in roles such as camera operator, script writer, director, editor, interviewer—and they determine what segments to produce. The class is organized into five production teams that mix students in fifth through eighth grades. Typically, an eighth-grade student is a production team leader. Creativity and independence are encouraged at SBN under the supervision of Amanda Johnston, middle school principal and science and language arts teacher, and Chris Watkins, middle school math teacher and IT manager.
Brooke, eighth-grade student and yearbook photographer, initially joined SBN because of her interest in photography. She began as a camera operator, but after the on-air talent left, Brooke pivoted from behind the camera to in front of the camera.
“Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a difference,” Brooke said about the transition, a testament to the skills developed and confidence built by students’ involvement with SBN. “It teaches you teamwork skills, how to be patient, and it’s taught me how to not procrastinate.”
Seeing the students thrive in this way excites Johnston. “I enjoy seeing a student who finds something they didn’t know they’d be good at,” she shared. “To see Brooke step up in front of the camera—she’s always been one of the quieter students, and she’s really coming into her own as a leader this year.”
Owen, an eighth-grade student, is the director and camera operator for Production Group A. His motivation for joining SBN was the fun of being part of a community. “For me, it’s been great making friends with everyone and being able to work together,” he said.
SBN’s first season included 15-minute episodes that were shared at chapel. This year, the shorter two- or three-minute segments focus on campus life and are distributed to the school’s constituent churches.
How does SBN create relatable and engaging content? “Humor!” Owen said enthusiastically. “And high-quality videos.” The class constantly keeps their audience in mind. “We ask ourselves what we would want to know about certain events,” Brooke added, “or what we think others should know.”
“I think this is something that any school can do,” Johnston added. “It builds unexpected skills, and it’s made the kids feel more connected to their school.”
