Cumberland Academy K-5 is soaring with pride! On March 5th, five of our very own 4th and 5th-grade students traveled to the NCTIES 2026 Convention in Raleigh to represent the Phoenix News Network (PNN) in the prestigious Student Showcase.
Their presentation, "You Can’t Touch This: Totally RAD Broadcasts by CVA Students," gave educators from across North Carolina a behind-the-scenes look at how our virtual school stays connected. Our student presenters shared their entire production process from the signing up for video segments in Google Sheets to scripting in Google Slides and the final creative edits in Canva.
What is PNN? The Phoenix News Network is a student-led media team that produces twice-weekly broadcasts for our school community. Working entirely in a virtual environment, these 4th and 5th graders collaborate via Canvas to script and record segments that include:
Important School Announcements & Birthdays
The Pledge of Allegiance
Positive Affirmations & Daily Jokes
Interactive Trivia
Real-World Skills in Action At the convention, our students didn't just show videos; they explained how they use creative technology to amplify their voices and build teamwork across distances. Visitors to the showcase walked away inspired by how our young journalists turn "virtual" learning into "authentic" learning.
It was so exciting to see our students explain their craft to everyone who stopped by their table. They proved that in a virtual environment, there are no limits to how much we can create and collaborate.
Congratulations to our PNN team for being such incredible ambassadors for Cumberland Academy K-5!