Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 21, 1992 TAG: 9201210121
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN
DATELINE: PEMBROKE LENGTH: Medium
GILES PUPILS DO OWN MORNING SHOW
Eastern Elementary School pupils don't bother watching Good Morning America or the Morning Show. They've got their own version of the popular morning news programs.Jack McCall, a seventh-grade teacher at the school, came up with the idea six years ago. He knew that each classroom was supplied with a television. There was a video camera. And there was the capability to show programs on closed circuit television.
It was all there. McCall simply had to find three or four seventh graders willing to "go live" in front of the whole school.
"I don't know where I got the idea," he said. "We used to just announce things over the intercom [system]."
The program, called "WEES News," has a cast of four 12-year-old seventh-graders. Carrie Williams is the anchorwoman, Shannon Bohn does the weather, Stuart Davis is the sports announcer and Stephen Hypes runs the camera.
"I was nervous at first, knowing the whole school was watching me," Carrie said.
"But it's not so bad now."
The news show lasts approximately five minutes and is aired each morning between 8:45 and 9 a.m. It is a live broadcast featuring announcements, special interviews, weather, sports, and, from time to time, special reports by other students in the school. Sometimes, Stephen will take the recorder to film on-the-spot interviews or cover sports events at the school.
"This week they will take the recorder to the [Giles County] School Board meeting and interview board members," said McCall.
"Working with the camera is fun," Stephen said.
"I've learned a lot with it. And I've been to the PBS [Blue Ridge Public Television] station in Roanoke."
Stuart likes being able to inform the school of the latest happenings in sports. He says he gets his information from his favorite television sports announcer, Greg Roberts of WSLS, channel 10 news in Roanoke.
Shannon says she gets nervous every day before giving the weather reports, but she enjoys being responsible for keeping the school informed on the latest happenings in the weather.
To be selected for the news team, pupils audition and the teachers vote on the best team.
McCall said the teachers look for pupils who are "quick thinkers and don't get too nervous in front of the camera.
"A lot of mornings, we don't have time to sit down with them [to go over the announcements]," McCall said. "It's nice knowing they're able to run things on their own. They don't need an adult around all the time."
McCall said that, as far as he knows, Eastern Elementary was the first school to start the program. But since its beginning, other schools in the county have caught on. Now Macy McClaugherty and Narrows Elementary have news teams.
"It's [the news program] fun to do for now," Carrie said. "I can't see myself doing it professionally, but it would be neat if I could."