Bellefonte Elementary’s principal, Mr. Mike Baughman, asked the students in the higher Video Production classes to create a documentary about the history of the elementary school after announcing its closing. Mr. Baughman wanted to honor the unique history it holds, along with creating a memorial for the building itself and the millions of memories it holds.
“The documentary is a mix of the history of the building, interviews from teachers that have taught there, members of students who have went there, community members that attended the building when it was a junior high and high school, along with b-roll of the building – both current and from the past,” BAHS Video Production teacher and BASD Public Relations Director Mrs. Carla Cipro said.
The students involved with the documentary included seniors Ryder Hamilton, Jordan Reilly, Taryn Miller, Jaeden Gabrovsek, Alaina Smith, Tate Tooker, Peyton Vancas, Colby Besch, Zane Hummel, Brady Smith, Austin Smith, and junior John Servant. Brady Miller was one of the more heavily involved students in the production of the film. Brady got to help direct the film as a camera operator, established camera shots, and got to record almost half of the footage. He greatly enjoyed his time and was happy to be a part of something so important.
“The Bellefonte documentary really gave me insight into how much history our small town has. I was able to interview a nice woman who told me about her experience of being the first woman to do a lot of things, like being student council president, a role I currently have,” Brady said.
Colby Besch got to interview alumni from Bellefonte Elementary along with recording clips of the school.
“I didn’t realize how much history of the town was in the school and shown throughout the art on walls or just things that weren’t remodeled. I hope viewers enjoy the documentary and also learn about Bellefonte’s history,” Colby said.
The documentary is set to be released in Fall of 2025. As time gets closer, the district will announce where people can view the film. As of right now, it will either be posted on the district’s YouTube page or accessible through the district’s website. Alongside this documentary, there will also be a documentary about Benner Elementary also set for releasing Fall of 2025.
