The Weekly Roar

Pitman High School has a clever and fun method of distributing important information to the students and staff with something called The Weekly Roar. In this segment, I will be explaining what exactly this program is and what purpose it serves to the students of Pitman. There will also be information on changes made to the program due to COVID and distance learning regulations. 

The person in charge of The Weekly Roar is Mr. Jeans, a teacher here at Pitman High School; he teaches video arts, college and career seminar, and coaches golf. I interviewed him via email and asked him a few questions, here’s what he had to say:

• Can you tell me a bit about The Weekly Roar itself and what it is that you are trying to accomplish with it?

“The Weekly Roar is a weekly broadcast that is created by the Video Arts CTE Class with the intention of providing students with experience in broadcasting, video creation, time management, and working with others, all while providing students on campus with a visual version of the announcements.”

This weekly broadcast provides many benefits not only to the students listening to it but also to the students who are involved in the broadcasting process. They can gain valuable experience that they can use as future references when applying for colleges or job applications. The announcements are posted at the beginning of each week. 

The entire process seems to involve a multitude of people in order to organize and produce the finished product. For the students and staff who receive the announcements, they are able to get information on things like volunteer opportunities, student achievements, important deadlines, sporting events, and so many other things. It also includes a section dedicated to artists who can submit pieces of their own work to share with the rest of the school. 

• How do you feel that the students who are involved in the broadcasting announcements have done this year due to the COVID restrictions? Did they adapt well? 

“The students have done a phenomenal job. With all the negatives that have come with COVID, students have shown so much resiliency. I am extremely proud of their work ethic, passion, and determination during these trying times.”

Of course, it is important to acknowledge the amazing job that the students and staff of The Weekly Roar have done in spite of COVID and the challenges of distance learning. As Mr. Jeans said, the students have adapted well to these changes. 

We started the school year completely online, due to the unpredictability of the COVID pandemic, it is likely that Mr. Jeans and his students thoroughly prepared for methods of gaining information and how to distribute it in an effective and timely manner. 

•  Is there anything else can you tell me about the differences between this school year on the Weekly Roar and past ones, if there are any major differences? 

“The biggest difference is that the class that creates “The Weekly Roar” this year is that it is created by a “CTE” class, opposed to the past classes, which were considered an elective. This is a huge advantage because the funding comes from a different source, specifically designed for students that are interested in entering the video/broadcasting world after high school.”

On the bright side, it appears that this pandemic has made a positive impact on the students involved with The Weekly Roar. Those students who are interested in video and broadcasting can receive significant learning opportunities with the changes made this year thanks to new funding. CTE stands for Career & Technical Education, its a course that prepares students for high demand careers with a depth of learning that builds on real-world skills. 

The Weekly Roar is an important part of Pitman High School and functions as one of the school’s messaging system (don’t forget about us here at The Roaring Times!). Anyone can look to this broadcasting for important announcements, especially seniors who are looking for important dates and deadlines.