Breaking the News at Valley Crossing

Valley Crossing Elementary School has broadcast its daily announcements via the Valley News Network “VNN” since 1996. VNN is a daily news show written, produced and performed by students, overseen by the school’s media specialist, Sarah Lanners. 

“Our students are responsible for each job in the newsroom,” said Lanners. 

VNN is composed of two news anchors, a special reporter, a weather reporter, a birthday reporter, a camera operator, a sound editor and a technical director. Around 100 fourth and fifth-grade students participate in the program throughout the school year. 

“I’ve gotten over my fear of public speaking from doing VNN,” fifth-grader Olive Rauch said. “I enjoy making new social connections on VNN and I’m really enjoying my crew this year.”

Each student has the opportunity to perform each position in the newsroom through a rotation schedule. 

“Students research their segment content and fill in the script with those details the night before they film,” said Lanners.

Students research and report on the weather conditions, school activities, student birthdays and fun facts about the day. Each school day a different set of students perform a rehearsal, record and post the daily VNN News all before the school day starts. 

“I enjoy feeling that you’re a part of something that helps the whole school and something that everybody can see,” said fifth-grader Sanvi Nallani.