After a year of early mornings and hard work, the Take Seven team at Bellefontaine Intermediate School is taking a moment to celebrate their accomplishments.

New to BIS is the Take Seven video announcement team. Each week they gather news, write, and produce a daily announcement video for the student body. The team arrives at school at 7:15 a.m. for their work morning. After filming, they add little segments of students telling jokes, performing fancy human tricks, or giving book recommendations.

The team first met last August and chose the name and format for their announcements. The name, Take Seven, comes from The Leader in Me Seven Habits.

Upon reflection, the team had lots to say about their year developing and producing the announcements. Caleb Hudson noted, “Usually when I have a job to do, I don’t ask for help. I like to do it all by myself. In Take Seven I’ve learned to synergize.” Leo Reser-Stanford added, “Doing the announcements in Take Seven has given me a sense of pride. We have made the school a better place.”

As these fifth-graders prepare for their move to the middle school, they can feel the change within them. “Take Seven showed me that I could be even more of a leader than I already was,” commented Dean Buffkin. Zacarah Evans said, “Take Seven helped me make new friends and explore the school community.”

Facilitator Ashley Reser explained, “The goal of The Leader in Me is for students to see the greatness within themselves. Through Take Seven, these five students set the course, made the map, and adjusted to create a new innovation. They demonstrate career-readiness skills through planning, negotiating, and finding solutions together.”

Annie Gallaway summed it up perfectly, “Doing Take Seven has empowered me to take more leadership in what I can do at school. I get to be a real leader and make real decisions.”

Photos: Bellefontaine Intermediate School fifth-graders work on Take Seven video announcements.