THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 22, 1995 TAG: 9503210132
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CARROLLTON LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
SOON AFTER TELEVISION celebrities like Katie Couric and Bryant Gumble of NBC's ``Today'' show have brought news, weather and information into homes across America each morning, Diondra Matthews and Jared Spangler take over at Carrollton Elementary School.
``The weather is cool and sunny,'' Diondra says. ``And today's lunch is . .
The fledgling television newswoman rolls her eyes toward the ceiling, bites her bottom lip and looks for help.
``I forgot today's date,'' she says, frowning.
That's a cut.
But it's all right, says assistant director Tracey Peden, who works as the school's office assistant when she's not in production.
``You looked up and couldn't find your place. You panicked. It's OK. They do it on big TV all the time.''
This is little TV, broadcast each morning at Carrollton Elementary, just as morning announcements are made at many schools over the public-address system.
But at Carrollton, one of Isle of Wight County's newest schools, the technology is in place to broadcast throughout the school via television monitors in every classroom.
``We have TVs in each room, hooked up through the library system,'' says third-grade teacher Jeff Evans. ``If I want my students to view a film or whatever, I just arrange for the librarian to put the tape in, and it plays.''
And recently, the voice-only announcements were replaced with the morning news program, an innovative presentation that includes news, weather, information, lunch menus, birthdays - and winds down with math facts to help the youngsters practice their arithmetic.
``In the morning, everybody puts their TV on channel 5, and we play this tape,'' Evans says. ``It gets better each time we do it.''
Evans got involved when somebody suggested the morning show might be a good time for the pupils to practice their math. Simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems move across the screen to a background of music. The children are encouraged to call out the answers. And teachers can simply turn their TVs off when the problems get too hard for their level.
``We hope it will help improve math scores on the standardized tests,'' Evans says. ``You can hear the children calling out answers all up and down the halls every morning. We've had a lot of help. Different teachers make suggestions. One of the parents made our backdrop.''
Fifteen third- through fifth-graders help produce the show, taking the roles of newscasters or acting as stagehands. It's videotaped at 2 each afternoon and airs at 9:10 in the morning on ``WCTV.'' The ``C,'' of course, is for Carrollton.
Peden, who helped the children making the morning announcements until the school went video, took over as camerawoman.
``I'm experienced,'' she laughs. ``I've been doing this for about three weeks.''
Peden also writes the scripts.
``We've had a couple of the kids get a case of giggles or something, but we haven't had to reshoot more than a few times,'' Peden says. ``They are very good.''
That, Diondra says, is because she's been practicing. She wants to be a television personality some day.
``They'll say, like, `Hey, I saw you on TV,' '' Diondra says. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Jared Spangler goes on the air with the Pledge of Allegiance at
Carrollton Elementary School.
by CNB