Sawyer News Network

In a few years, you may see Quin and Elijah, currently 4th graders at Sawyer Elementary School, behind the anchor desk reading the news. Until that time, they are comfortable as the content creators of Sawyer News Network, a weekly news segment created by the duo and shared across the building.  

New episodes arrived each Friday for the past two months of school. Their teacher, Nicole Coronado, has allowed the students creative freedom on the weekly segment and the pair have made it their own. “Quin and Elijah are in charge of picking who they interview, what questions they ask, and when they video tape. They also write their own script and research the weather and events for the following week, so they can report those out to the school,” said Coronado.

The boys used an iPhone to record the segments and collaborated using a shared Google Doc on their classroom issued Chromebook to write the script. They both say that the actual process does not take long, and they can complete the scripts fairly quickly once they get their assigned work done.

Watching Quin and Elijah work, Coronado said, “I love how the boys choose the people they interview. They are being really intentional about selecting students and adults who might not get the spotlight any other time. They are also alternating choosing an adult and a student so they can cover more ground and get different perspectives. The boys have such a heart for giving everyone credit for what they do for our school.”

A typical weekly schedule begins with script writing. Scripts are finalized on Wednesday, and on Thursday they record their monologues. Interviews are conducted throughout the week. Coronado edited the first several episodes using iMovie but was looking to pass that responsibility onto the boys as well. If you want to see an episode of Sawyer News Network, the first episode is posted on the District’s YouTube Channel.