LANGLEY – Good morning Orcas!

Every day at South Whidbey Elementary School, two students greet their teachers and classmates with those three words.

The words don’t echo through the halls, but the voices of the young broadcasters can be heard around the world.

Teachers and parents can access the daily announcements through the school’s podcast — basically radio on demand — on the SWES website.

“Anybody can do this,” said Ellen Wallace, a student support staff member at the school. “It doesn’t have to be the more academically inclined kids.”

Even so, school work matters. The rotating hosts need to be caught up with their assignments and get their teacher’s permission to take a 20- to 30-minute break from class.

When fourth-graders Talin Vallat Phillips and Kaylie McRea arrived for their time before the microphone, they did a reading of the script with Wallace and divided the segments.

“You want to sound peppy,” Wallace told the student hosts.

First, they say the Pledge of Allegiance. Then they introduce themselves and welcome their listeners. Announcements are next, which are provided by teachers and staff.

Last week, Talin and Kaylie reminded teachers about Whidbey Island Nourishes, updated students on the Good Cheer food drive and celebrated having almost five barrels of food.

Then came the shout out. In unison, all three said, “Awesome job, Orcas!”

It was then time for more news. There would be no double dutch in the gym during the last recess, or Junior Waste Warriors.

The young hosts then prepared for the whales’ tails spinner awards. Kaylie read the winners.

“Today’s winners aarrrrre,” Kaylie said, dragging out the consonant and building suspense like a seasoned pro of the airwaves.

Next, Talin and Kaylie turned to the weather and the hot lunch menu.

Reporting the weather takes a local twist for this podcast, however.

“Remember Orcas, it’s wintertime and it’s very cold outside. Please remember to wear your sweatshirt or coat outside at recess.”

The final segment of the show is a piece of leadership advice. The elementary school is working on a school-wide leadership initiative based on the “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” and for Dec. 15, the lesson was “Begin with the end in mind — have a plan.”

When they were finished with their first and only take, Talin and Kaylie listened to the five-minute recording.

“It makes me sound so different,” Kaylie said.

“I’m almost jealous I don’t get the long parts, then when it starts I’m, ‘Oh yeah, I’m OK.’”

Both Talin and Kaylie are repeat hosts. For a couple of veteran podcast hosts, both dislike reading in public. There’s something different about speaking into a microphone, rather than in front of a crowd.

“I like doing the podcast, just not reading out loud,” Talin said. “Maybe it’s that I’m not doing it in front of my class.”

Wallace said people from across the world download and listen to the podcasts, and she reminded her young hosts of their celebrity.

“Families love hearing you on the podcast,” she told the pair.

“There’s a lot of families that sit over breakfast and listen to the podcast.”

The shift from announcements through the school intercom to a podcast via the Internet happened in 2009. Rather than interrupting class, teachers can choose a convenient time to play the podcast for their students.

And as for the students, well, they are heard all over the school and the world, as well. How cool is that?

“The kids absolutely love it,” Wallace said.

At the end of the episode, Talin and Kaylie gave a synchronized goodbye.

“Thanks for listening to our podcast. This is Talin and Kaylie signing off.”