CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO FORMAT OF THIS ARTICLE!
With summer being left behind and school coming up, many students are lamenting about their loss of free time and relaxation as they gear up for another school year. Now they have to wake up in the morning, catch their bus or drive to school, wait until 7:20 to get in, attend their first period, and deal with seven periods of schoolwork until the revered school bell rings and students rush off to their homes. But one part of our morning routine that many students, and some teachers, tend to forget about is the morning announcements. The usually five-minute-long video played at the end of every first period to inform students about upcoming events, the weather, the lunch menu of the day, and special news about things like clubs or the fall play. In fact, it has been so ingrained into our daily school schedule that no one has really taken a moment to sit down and wonder, “How are the morning announcements truly made?” Which, thanks to Mrs. Hutchinson, we can attribute to habituation, a form of non-associative learning that refers to the decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure. Thank you, Mrs. Hutch!
So, how are the morning announcements truly made? Let’s break it down.
When it hits 7:20, the crew members use their passes to immediately go down to their studio, which is located next to the drama room, and start getting ready. They begin by tweaking the information on the script to make sure it’s up to date and that they include all of the school news sent to them through their email. Once that’s done, they check their job list to make sure everyone knows what their duties for the day are; the jobs include: graphics, copy, editor, teleprompter, switcher/playback, audio, anchor, camera, stage manager, and intercom/announcement. With that out of the way, the crew members relax and hang out with each other, enjoying the snacks provided by the amazing Mrs. Reeder, joking around with the beloved Mr. Garbrick, or distracting themselves with the basket of fidgets that are provided. But once it hits 8:05, it’s time for them to put their game faces on as they start filming the morning announcements. The anchors for the day set up their mics and take their seats at the desk set up in the film room, while the teleprompter, switcher, graphics, and audio take their places in the studio. Whether the announcements are done in one take or three can change day by day, but this crew always makes sure they turn out an incredible final product.
What are the jobs?
Graphics: This person is in charge of the images that appear in the background tv that appears in the broadcast.
Copy: This person is in charge of updating the script with the latest school news and the day’s theme: Mindful Monday, Trivia Tuesday, Word of the Day Wednesday, Thursday Thinker, and Flashback Friday.
Editor: This person is in charge of going through the script and making sure that everything is correct.
Teleprompter: This person is in charge of the speed of the teleprompter that the anchors read from.
Switcher: This person is in charge of switching between the three cameras, making sure the transition between takes is seamless.
Audio: This person is in charge of controlling the audio coming from the anchors’ mics and what the audience can hear in the recording.
Anchors: These people are in charge of appearing in front of the camera and reading off the morning announcements from the teleprompter in front of them.
Camera: This person is in charge of adjusting the cameras to make sure everything is centered, focused, and positioned in just the right space.
Stage Manager: This person is in charge of taking attendance, covering the jobs of absent students, and helping out crew members.
Intercom/announcement: This person is in charge of going on the school intercom and letting everyone know the morning announcements are about to begin.
2025-2026 TV Productions Crew: Mrs. Reeder (teacher), Mr. Garbrick (A/V administrator), Cooper Allmaras, Zachory Cipriani, Michael Duprey, Destiny Fink, Carter Freynick, Emily Fullop, Janae James, Xavier Johnston-Myrick, Jaslin Shand, and Nyieer Young
