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Ben Franklin students showcase FNN studio, music and arts honors at school board meeting
Summary
Students from Ben Franklin Middle School presented their Franklin News Network (FNN) broadcast and district staff honored visual and performing arts students, including CREATE student recognitions and a student selected for county band.
Students and staff from Ben Franklin Middle School presented a student-produced Franklin News Network segment and the board honored several students in arts and music during the March meeting of the Bristol Township School Board.
The student broadcast, presented by FNN, highlighted a new TV studio funded by a 2024 foundation grant, morning announcements on YouTube with more than 300 subscribers, live-streamed concerts and plans for future growth. Student field reporters described classroom projects, music achievements and extracurricular activities.
Why it matters: The presentation showcased student media experience, career- and technical-skills development and extracurricular engagement that the district said was supported by a foundation grant and staff mentorship.
Highlights and recognitions: Lori Gallagher of Creating the Foundation of the Arts presented the district’s CREATE student honors. The board recognized:
• Gage Curry, visual artist of the month (Truman) — reported as an Art 3 student who favors pen-and-ink illustration and who plans to attend Savannah College of Art and Design in the fall.
• Harley Palanchik, vocal musician of the month (Franklin Middle School) — an eighth grader recognized for excellence in chorus and participation in the High Notes Music Festival.
• Kirsten Greeley, instrumental musician of the month (Armstrong) — an eighth grader cited for being first-chair alto saxophone in the BCMEA (Bucks County Music Education Association) All-County Middle School Band and for continued participation in district music programs. Kirsten spoke and read an autobiographical statement in the meeting record describing her musical experience beginning in fourth grade.
Ben Franklin students also showed video segments describing school activities: student-of-the-month recognition, National Junior Honor Society inductions (20 eighth-grade students), science sustainability projects, reading events with elementary students, and district music accomplishments (seven students from Ben Franklin made the county all-star band in one excerpt of the broadcast).
Quotes from the record: Student Kirsten Greeley said in her prepared remarks, “I’m in eighth grade, and I’m so honored to be chosen to be the CREATE student of March.”
Ending: The student-produced FNN segment and CREATE recognitions underscore the district’s emphasis on arts, music and student media opportunities; staff said the programs are supported by grants and community partners and that the district plans to continue promoting student involvement.
