Van Cleve students showcase 'Van Cleve Today' and leadership chances at Troy School District board meeting

Students from Van Cleve Elementary presented a live morning-show-style program called 'Van Cleve Today' to the Troy School District Board of Education at its April 13 meeting, demonstrating how the school structures student leadership and morning announcements.

The Van Cleve teacher who accompanied the group described the program as the building’s version of a morning radio show and said leadership activities and sports increase students’ sense of belonging, attendance and engagement. Student presenters described recent experiences — including attendance at a regional middle-level leadership conference at Edison State Community College — and explained that the announcements team follows a calendar, rotates two-week presenter assignments and sometimes features a daily segment created by a student.

“The calendar tells us which weeks people will speak,” one student said about how stories are selected. Another student explained that featured segments allow students to create recurring items, such as a daily poetry appreciation spot.

Board members asked how students are selected for the cast; Van Cleve staff said students can ask to join, Miss Kelis organizes a packet for scheduling, and the rotation typically involves roughly a dozen students across the month. Administrators and trustees thanked the students for presenting and for sharing examples of leadership projects such as canned-food drives and other community-service activities.

The student presentation was followed by brief questions from board members and a short introduction of other community guests in attendance.