Local elementary school students learn lessons by creating original song in class

PITTSBURGH — A group of Pittsburgh Public Schools elementary students is learning some critical lessons through music.

Faison Elementary School students learned exactly what to do while riding on a bus by creating a music video.

Teachers Ronnay Sirmons and Tina Esu thought, “We can reach them through music!”

“I thought to myself, how can I really, truly connect with the students? What can we do to really get bus safety across?” said Sirmons.

“They are so creative. We presented the bus song to them and some students started making up dance movements and things that we have. Michayla Stenhouse, she made up dance movements for it and they picked up on the rap like very fast,” said Esu.

Each year, Faison students create videos like this one to inspire, teach and unite.

Charon White works with Urban Music Program out of Carnegie Mellon University. He says the kids wrote the lyrics and he put them to music.

“I still ride the bus, you know, I get on public transportation and I’m like, I wish y’all could hear this song, you know, because y’all need these rules. We all need some type of protocol and like etiquette, you know, to how we move in this world and these kids got it,” White said.

For some kids, it became a family affair!

“I was listening to the lyrics at home and I was like, oh, well, maybe I can make up a dance and then my sister…she helped me,” said Michayla Stenhouse, a student.

“We want all students to be safe on the bus, so hopefully it can touch and reach all the kids in the city of Pittsburgh and even outside the state,” Sirmons said.

Click here to watch the student’s original song.

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