Catholic Partnership Schools Healthy Courier reporters took a creative approach last spring to showcase their research about the importance of school attendance: They wrote a song!
After watching a music video about going to school, the sixth-grade reporters at Holy Name School in Camden were inspired to write a song to the tune of “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar.
But Healthy NewsWorks film director Rodney Whittenberg had a bigger idea—the students could sing their lyrics to original music they developed with him. After the students refined the lyrics, Rodney set up a recording studio just down the hall from their classroom.
Healthy NewsWorks program associate Steve Riggs, who worked with the Holy Name reporters, said the students were initially nervous to speak into the microphone and perform, but once they heard their voices against the beat, their nerves shifted to excitement.
“At first it was scary, then it was fun!” said one reporter.
“I was very nervous,” said another reporter. “But it was a lot of fun, and I will remember it forever.”
The reporters only had one hour to record, and they wanted to keep trying new ways of performing their part. “At the end, they did not want to leave!” said Steve.
Even though it was intimidating at first, the students are excited that their song and video will be seen by other students and encourage them to have good attendance.
“I’m learning that trying something new can help someone else make a positive change,” one reporter said.
