“It takes a village”: telling the stories of Sheridan Community Schools

Submitted by Sheridan Community Schools

Over the past year, Sheridan Community Schools (SCS) has been hard at work highlighting people who sometimes go unnoticed.

At small schools like SCS, it is even more prevalent. Sheridan strives to share the stories of student success, staff dedication, athletic accomplishments, classroom renewal, and the community that supports SCS every day.

Now, the Blackhawk Sports Report and Blackhawk Alumni Newsletter have been born.

Blackhawk Sports Report

Chuck Godby has led the return of sports coverage for SCS. A longtime local sports journalist, as well as a Sheridan alumnus, he wanted to create something that he was passionate about, but also showed the grit of SCS student-athletes.

“It takes a village,” Godby said. “That’s how the Blackhawk Sports Report came about.”

The report is issued on the Sheridan Community Schools website under the Athletics tab, as well as shared on Facebook and ParentSquare. For the fall athletic season, it is released every Wednesday and Saturday. The Blackhawk Sports Report highlights the accomplishments not only of the Sheridan teams, but also of the individual athletes.

Read the Blackhawk Sports Report at tinyurl.com/BlackhawkSportsReport.

Blackhawk Alumni Newsletter

SCS has also been creating the Blackhawk Alumni Newsletter. This monthly newsletter is designed to specifically keep Sheridan alumni connected to the school. The newsletter is full of opportunities to engage with the community, but it mainly highlights and celebrates the accomplishments of current students, staff, and the school community.

The newsletter is designed to grow the already strong connection between Sheridan alumni and the school, no matter how many years have gone by. Alumni who would like to receive the newsletter can sign up at sheridan.revtrak.net/alumni.

Students tell the story

Even students are getting involved with telling the story.

Daniel Bragg, one of the SCS technology experts and owner of Bragg Sports Media, has created a Sports Journalism club. This club gives students the opportunity to learn and try sports journalism, but also see an inside look into production and telling the story. This club is available to any middle or high school student who is interested.

Ellie Arrowood, a high school ELA teacher, is also bringing journalism to the classroom. Her accelerated freshmen write and release columns about the people, opportunities, and events that make SCS so special. Editor’s note: You can read those columns in the pages of The Reporter.

Allison Waitt, high school graphic design teacher, leads the creation of the Yearbook, too. The Yearbook is a completely student-curated piece. Students write, format, and take pictures for the memory-filled book. The student photos are shared on the school Facebook as well.

These experiences are more than just writing assignments. They give students the opportunity to try something new and also see how perspective can influence a story.

At a small school corporation like Sheridan Community Schools, it can be easy for stories to go unheard. These avenues that SCS is creating are helping those stories be shared. Whether it’s through the Blackhawk Sports Report, Blackhawk Alumni Newsletter, or the various student-focused stories, Sheridan is telling its story and ensuring that everyone can hear it.