Every morning right before school, the main office is bustling with action- students coming in with dismissal notes, kids with questions, wondering what day it is, teachers and staff running in and out, preparing for the long day ahead, substitute teachers receiving their assignments, and secretaries working away at their computers. It truly is a busy environment.
And at the beginning of class, you’ll always hear the bell ring. Along with that you’ll hear the familiar voice saying, “Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.” This goes on every day at RMHS, and it becomes routine to many. But it raised the question: Who is this person that does the announcements? This person has become a constant part of a student’s school day. Yet no one knows who this is.
RMHS has 2 morning announcers currently, whose names are Adam Hogan(‘27) and Aidan Kiley(‘26). Kiley is a junior who’s involved in the drama program. Over the summer, he likes to go up to Meredith, New Hampshire, where he works and spends time with his family. The other is sophomore Adam Hogan. He is involved in the school’s choir, having joined both the school’s select choir, the tenor and bass acapella group “The Crescendudes”, and is a student representative for the school’s mixed acapella group “Harmonium.” Additionally, he is a student contributor to The New Currency and is a member of Reading’s chapter of SOCA.
Hogan wants people to know his name. He said, “It’s a good way to get my voice known throughout the school and make connections in the office.” Additionally, he receives volunteer hours towards his National Honors Society from doing the announcements.
Kiley enjoys doing the announcements. He said “I signed up, along with 2 other people, and I just fell in love with it.” Those 2 others were graduates Emily Goodhue(‘24) and Jason Anderson(‘24). And according to Kiley, there’s not much to it. “There’s nothing much to prepare. I just read the announcements to brief myself on what I’m going to be reading. And then I just press play and keep going.”
The whole operation is run by one of the office secretaries, Ms. Chisholm. She’s the one that gathers announcements, compiles a script, prints it out, and provides the speakers with what to say. “Teachers email me with announcements through a google form,” Ms. Chisholm stated. “And then I compile them on a spreadsheet and print it out.”
According to Ms. Chisholm, anyone can become a morning announcer. Principal Callanan sends out a request form for interested students in the weekly newsletter. “Interested students reach out to either Ms. Callanan or me directly,” Ms. Chisholm stated
These kids never receive the recognition they deserve for what they do. Morning announcements have become normal to us all, and they’re the ones that make it happen. So next time you exit the chaos that is Main Street, with its loud, dense pack of students, and enter the main office, try and see if you could notice these students. They’re always working hard, despite the busy environment.
