Will Sveda

Bath Elementary School students film the Voices of Bath in Hetman’s classroom.

A teacher at Bath Elementary School creates a program for students to do video announcements that promote teamwork, presentation, research and communication skills; which are shown to the school each day.

The program, titled “The Voices of Bath”, is the new televised announcement program at Bath Elementary School. The select team of fifth grade students spend their time during lunch researching and producing announcements for the entire school to watch. The students have green screen technology and professional camera equipment that help make their presentations as high effort as possible. 

Bath Elementary School’s program “The Voices of Bath” has been making an impact on its students by encouraging teamwork, embracing research and  strengthening communication skills. As Jodi Hetman, the fifth grade teacher who pioneered the program, reflects on its growth as she recalls its humble beginnings. 

“The Voices of Bath is only a few years old at this point. It’s the second year we’re doing it, and the first year we’ve done it with my try-out routine that I have developed. But, I remember I pitched something my third year teaching here, but really now has the potential to become realized to me,” Hetman said.

The newest addition to the second year of this program comes with a new try-out routine. The process for selecting participants involves multiple stages, ensuring a fair and thorough evaluation. Hetman explains the initial step of the audition process.

“I have try-outs for these kids that want to participate in Voices of Bath. What I had them do was they would first submit an audio clip of a script that was already written by us that they would read. I specifically wanted only audio; firstly so I could avoid favoritism in case I had these kids in class or anything, but also because I wanted to hear their vocal quality above anything else,” Hetman said.

Hetman designed the selection process to ensure the best candidates for the video announcements. After narrowing the pool from sixty to thirty participants, the students then undergo a final selection process in front of a panel of teachers, with the final team consisting of six students.

”Over the course of the process, we narrowed it down, and then we would have them come in for an on-camera try-out. This is where I had them try out in front of a panel of teachers with a script the kids wrote for themselves. Which is then where we narrowed it down to our final six kids that made it in,” Hetman said.

Hetman describes how the on-camera tryouts gave students the opportunity to not only showcase their vocal abilities but also demonstrate their creativity and self-expression. It became more than just an audition; it became a chance for students to engage with the material they were presenting and make it their own. With this second layer of the process, Ms. Hetman was able to assess how well students could adapt and present under more formal conditions, ultimately narrowing the field to the final six participants who would represent the program.

“IT was my previous career. So I really saw the benefit in the new technology that we weren’t really using. Plus I had seen the video announcements that the high school does every year, and I wanted to expand on that for our kids down here at the elementary school,” Hetman said.

Hetman’s background in IT proved to be an asset when it came to the technical aspects of running the program. With an eye for utilizing new technology, she recognized the potential of using video as a platform for communication within the school. Her experience with technology, combined with the existing framework for video announcements at the high school level, inspired her to take the initiative and bring this format to the elementary school students.

”This is the second year we’ve done these video announcements and I am seeing so much potential in the growth of this program. I am going down to Kent State the next day for the Ohio Schools Media Association conference, which is originally for high school kids, but they’re letting us in because they also see how we could expand this. We’re recording in advance already, and I can see how we can do interviews and explore this in a live setting,” Hetman said.

This opportunity is a testament to the recognition the program has received and the growing interest in how elementary school students can participate in more sophisticated media productions. Ms. Hetman is eager to see how the program will evolve over the coming years. She is enthusiastic about the opportunities it could create for students to engage in real-world experiences that go beyond traditional classroom settings.

”This is not something that AI or anything like that can replace. Ultimately, other people want to see other people do these things. Plus, beyond anything else, the benefits of this is what makes it worthwhile. The teamwork, research, writing and organization that the students must engage with is beyond what most kids of their age even think about,” Hetman said.

Hetman highlights the personal growth that students experience through the program. She strongly believes that the skills learned cannot be replaced by technology alone. The process of preparing for and participating in the video announcements demands that students master skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom. She emphasizes that these abilities go far beyond what students typically engage with at this stage in their education. Dan Fry, the Principal at Bath Elementary, provided insight into how the program was initiated and why it has been so impactful.

“There were only announcements over the loud-speakers originally, there was never anything on video. Ms. Cohen ran that when she was at Bath. When she retired, we needed someone who needed to step up, and Ms. Hetman did that and said she’d take it a step further and make them video announcements,” Fry said.

Fry also emphasized the depth of the program, pointing out that it is far more than just a fun extracurricular activity. He believes that the level of research, organization, and presentation involved in the video announcements challenges students in ways that go beyond what is typically expected at the elementary school level

“There’s a lot of good research that goes into this, from the information and the presentation aspect, it’s [a] pretty high level for these kids. It’s really like an early form of journalism for them. There are so many benefits that go into this. On top of that, we’re one of, if not, the only school in the state that offers something like this,” Fry said. 

Thanks to Hetman’s clear vision and resourcefulness, the program was able to launch without requiring significant funds. Fry reiterates the easy implementation and low cost, combined with the program’s considerable benefits, make it a highly efficient and worthwhile investment for the school.

“There was not a lot of really serious investment that we had to make in this. Ms. Hetman stepped up and gave us a list of what she wanted, and we were more than happy to oblige. It did not cost that much either, so it was a really easy, but at the same time a really worthwhile investment,” Fry said.

Bath Elementary school teacher, Lori Keaton shares an enthusiasm for the benefits of the video announcement program that extends beyond just the technical aspects, recognizing the broader life skills it nurtures in students.

“I think the benefits to working on school video announcements, on top of the communication skills, digital literacy and collaboration and teamwork, is that it includes a lot of creativity, critical thinking, planning and school and community engagement. These are skills that students need and the earlier we focus on them, the better,” Keaton said.

Keaton is passionate about the idea that the earlier students can begin to develop these skills, the better equipped they will be for the future. By integrating this program into students’ educational experiences, they are building a strong foundation of skills that will serve them in the years to come, both inside and outside the classroom.

“The noticeable effects on the students include increased confidence, improved speaking and writing skills, leadership and responsibility, stronger classroom community, increased engagement, greater flexibility and school and community wide recognition,” Keaton said

As the program continues to grow and thrive, Keaton has observed a range of positive effects on the students involved. These benefits go beyond technical proficiency in video production. Students’ speaking and writing skills improve as they create scripts, deliver announcements and communicate ideas clearly. This process fosters a sense of leadership and responsibility, as students take ownership of their work and contribute to a positive classroom and school-wide culture.

”The program is a great success. Students love watching and are much more focused on the morning announcements and upcoming events. It’s a pretty awesome program, so it’s hard to think about improvements. One expansion I’d like to see would be for the program to include more students, and we have some ideas for that in the future,” Keaton said.

The fact that students are more focused on the morning announcements and show an increased interest in upcoming events highlights the program’s effectiveness in capturing their attention and fostering school spirit. This engagement is crucial, as it not only keeps students informed but also strengthens their connection to the school community.

“Mrs. Hetman is an amazing teacher and video announcement coach. She is such a hard worker and is always interested in learning something new. Her depth of knowledge is amazing and her generosity in sharing it admirable. I’m so lucky to have her as a teaching partner,” Keaton said.

Bath Elementary school continues their Voices of Bath program with more success this year, and aspires to be more in the future.