Almost every Monday and Friday, the morning announcements have a little more spectacle than usual. Instead of the typical morning announcements hosted by Dr. Shipp, Wake Up Woodgrove blasts to life on Promethean boards across the school. Wake Up Woodgrove features segments such as historical facts, school news, and the day’s weather. Students are familiar with the morning show, but they may not know what goes on behind the scenes.

The show started around 10 years ago, and it used to be filmed in a small closet connected to Ms. Bingaman’s classroom in L604. It started out small with only a handful of students, and in its early years only two or three students put on the show. The production value has steadily increased over the years. Interest in the show has climbed with it, both from potential members and viewers.

Wake Up Woodgrove is not a club or a class. The only time that the small staff meets is for a few fleeting moments before the show is live on air. 

All of the segments and advertisements featured on the show have been devised or sent in by students. The crew is small, but there is a tryout process in the spring to become a featured member of the show.

Seniors Molly Burnett and Carter Boogaard joined the crew after auditioning at the end of their sophomore year and are two of the longest tenured members on the show.

“We can be on the school announcements every morning, and we can be noticeable faces [around the school],” said Burnett, who believes her experience in theater has helped her succeed on the morning announcements. 

The show got a big revamp last year when the library renovation included a new studio for Wake Up Woodgrove to record in. While the students are the main focus and the stars in front of the camera, Mr. Schutte and Ms. Spencer are in charge of production. Carefully making sure everything is in the right order on the computer outside of the filming room, Schutte and Spencer are tasked with putting up all the pictures and videos that play during the announcements, dealing with the green screen background, and making sure everything runs correctly. 

Wake Up Woodgrove has been on the air for almost a decade, and it has shown no sign of slowing down. As the self-proclaimed most watched morning show in Western Loudoun, Wake Up Woodgrove will keep encouraging students to work, honor, and strive.