Andrew Arana, who teaches third grade, and wife Susan Arana, who teaches second grade, help the team of fifth grade presenters with the technology portion of the broadcast. The students take turns reading the news, weather, lunch menus, and other fun facts for the week.
“They were actually very excited about it!” Andrew said. “We had our core group of eight that helped start Peak Productions, but many students from all over the school wanted to be a part of it in some way. We have discussed how we are going to incorporate more students into it.”
Special weather events create opportunities for fun segments, like winter scenes.
Most of what the students say isn’t scripted, which creates plenty of editing decisions for Andrew and Susan.
“After the first couple episodes they got comfortable being in front of a microphone and camera. The chemistry between the students cultivated a fun and spontaneous environment. I don’t leave every silly comment in, but I noticed that a lot of people liked the unscripted comments.”
These moments include dance breaks, shout-outs, proclamations claiming to be the best newscaster, and blooper reels.
The intro to many of the Peak Productions updates.
The opportunity to work with his wife is special for Andrew and he is looking forward to partnering with her for the coming school year.
“I love working with my wife. We are very lucky to have a job where we get to do extra things like Peak Productions together. We both also love being a part of this community and giving the students opportunities, so working as a team on Peak Productions is a smooth and fun experience.”
This year, Andrew and Susan are looking to get more students involved and offer new segments to the broadcast.
The broadcast features plenty of information about special school events.
“Since our school goes up to eighth grade, a lot of the fifth graders don't feel like they are at the ‘top of the school’ like other fifth graders in a more traditional setting. Giving them this opportunity lets them be a part of something special and it gives the younger students something to look forward to.
“My wife and I have talked about reading good news from around the school, doing teacher interviews, having footage from school events, and even trying to produce videos as a way to market the school. We are also open to anyone who wants to join or has recommendations. The more staff members that join in, the better this will be!”
Keep up the great work, Peak!
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About Peak Charter Academy
Peak Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Apex, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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