NewsStudent LifePre-K to 8ServiceAcademics
WDLS premiers at Lower School
Oct 30, 2006 3:44 PM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Quiet on the set. Places everyone. Lights … camera … action!
Darlington fifth-graders made Lower School history Oct. 2 with the first-ever broadcast of the daily news program “Eye of the Tiger” on WDLS television station. The show quickly became a campus success, with all grades tuning in for daily announcements, weather reports, the lunch menu, feature stories and interviews, and a few commercials.
“Because we are a fractured campus with many buildings and outside walkways, communication to the school at large could only take place at scheduled assemblies in the gym,” said Patricia Ayer, computer instructor and co-producer of the show. “Our short morning news show lets us all join together to get our marching orders for the day and share a good morning smile.”
While WDLS premiered just this year, the concept has been in the making since the computer lab upgrade in early 2005. A handful of people are responsible for making the dream a reality.
With the help of Diane Lumpkin, assistant director of Lower School, Ayer secured a grant from the Radner Foundation for funding. This grant, along with additional monies from the Hurley Technology Fund, was used to purchase the components used to produce the show. Generous support and labor from day parent Mike Pender and his company, Lansource Inc., made it possible for the broadcast to travel, via closed-circuit feed, from the lab into each classroom on Comcast Channel 3. Ayer’s daughter, Mandy Ayer Churchill (’93), and husband, George, served as technical advisers when the equipment arrived. And as it was being installed, Ayer’s husband Harry and Technology Coordinator Kandi Riddle helped her design and build the show’s set.
Ayer then recruited Cindy Stinson, second-grade teaching assistant, to co-produce the show. “Working with the students at the new WDLS station has been a very enlightening experience,” said Stinson, a former broadcast journalist. “I am continuously amazed at the degree of maturity and ability that our fifth-graders possess. From the sound manager to the anchors, they are all catching on so quickly.”
Ayer also solicited the help of fifth-grade teachers Bebe Cline and Perree Collier, who help coordinate the teams that will work on the program each week and motivate students to write feature stories and commercials.
“A large portion of the copy read on each show has been written by our two fifth-grade classes,” said Ayer. “Writing articles that deal with things that are relevant to our campus gives focus to the students. One of the marks Bebe and I have set for the year is that all of the writing be student-generated.”
Each week, a new group of fifth-graders is trained to take over the studio for the next week. “The dedication and pride these young people have for this project is astounding,” said Ayer. “They have taken my concept, learned to use the tools and technology available, and made it their own.”
At 7:30 a.m. each day, the studio is filled with students eager to watch and learn so they will be ready for their turn on the team. The daily script – about 11 pages of copy – is passed around, and anchor trainees read aloud to practice. Students interested in the camera crew gather around Stinson to learn about camera notes. Ayer consults with the camera technician, who switches between the overhead and floor camera, and the sound person, who cues the beginning and ending theme music with voiceover. Out of all the eager trainees, five work for the week.
“Eye of the Tiger” has already generated a broad fan base among Lower School students and faculty.
“I really like it,” said Emily Taylor (’18). “My favorite part is when they announce birthdays.”
Drew Finley (’15) especially loves the show’s theme song, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. “Almost everyone in my class does arm motions when it comes on,” he said.
Classmate Cara Key (’15) cannot wait for her turn to participate in the show next year. “It looks like so much fun,” she said. “If I become an actor when I grow up, I’ll have had the experience of getting up there in front of people each day, doing my best, and hearing them say, ‘Good job!’”
Librarian Ann Glass said the morning news is not only informative, but entertaining and uplifting as well. “As a teacher, it is a joy to see our older students so poised, professional and responsible,” she said.
Dr. Steve Bartholomew, director of Lower School, agreed. “Patricia and Cindy are introducing cutting-edge technology and innovations into our daily teaching,” he said. “Our students are participating in opportunities that will make them more knowledgeable and developing skills that will benefit them in their future educational pursuits.”
“Eye of the Tiger” is broadcast each school day morning at 8:05 a.m. from the WDLS studio on the Lower School campus. Other capabilities of the studio include remote taping, playback of broadcasts, and teacher-scheduled showings of videos/programming that enhance curriculum. Future plans include a continuous message board with background music on Comcast Channel 9 and streamlining video on Darlington’s Web site for viewing by parents and other interested parties.
Darlington fifth-graders made Lower School history Oct. 2 with the first-ever broadcast of the daily news program “Eye of the Tiger” on WDLS television station. The show quickly became a campus success, with all grades tuning in for daily announcements, weather reports, the lunch menu, feature stories and interviews, and a few commercials.
“Because we are a fractured campus with many buildings and outside walkways, communication to the school at large could only take place at scheduled assemblies in the gym,” said Patricia Ayer, computer instructor and co-producer of the show. “Our short morning news show lets us all join together to get our marching orders for the day and share a good morning smile.”
While WDLS premiered just this year, the concept has been in the making since the computer lab upgrade in early 2005. A handful of people are responsible for making the dream a reality.
With the help of Diane Lumpkin, assistant director of Lower School, Ayer secured a grant from the Radner Foundation for funding. This grant, along with additional monies from the Hurley Technology Fund, was used to purchase the components used to produce the show. Generous support and labor from day parent Mike Pender and his company, Lansource Inc., made it possible for the broadcast to travel, via closed-circuit feed, from the lab into each classroom on Comcast Channel 3. Ayer’s daughter, Mandy Ayer Churchill (’93), and husband, George, served as technical advisers when the equipment arrived. And as it was being installed, Ayer’s husband Harry and Technology Coordinator Kandi Riddle helped her design and build the show’s set.
Ayer then recruited Cindy Stinson, second-grade teaching assistant, to co-produce the show. “Working with the students at the new WDLS station has been a very enlightening experience,” said Stinson, a former broadcast journalist. “I am continuously amazed at the degree of maturity and ability that our fifth-graders possess. From the sound manager to the anchors, they are all catching on so quickly.”
Ayer also solicited the help of fifth-grade teachers Bebe Cline and Perree Collier, who help coordinate the teams that will work on the program each week and motivate students to write feature stories and commercials.
“A large portion of the copy read on each show has been written by our two fifth-grade classes,” said Ayer. “Writing articles that deal with things that are relevant to our campus gives focus to the students. One of the marks Bebe and I have set for the year is that all of the writing be student-generated.”
Each week, a new group of fifth-graders is trained to take over the studio for the next week. “The dedication and pride these young people have for this project is astounding,” said Ayer. “They have taken my concept, learned to use the tools and technology available, and made it their own.”
At 7:30 a.m. each day, the studio is filled with students eager to watch and learn so they will be ready for their turn on the team. The daily script – about 11 pages of copy – is passed around, and anchor trainees read aloud to practice. Students interested in the camera crew gather around Stinson to learn about camera notes. Ayer consults with the camera technician, who switches between the overhead and floor camera, and the sound person, who cues the beginning and ending theme music with voiceover. Out of all the eager trainees, five work for the week.
“Eye of the Tiger” has already generated a broad fan base among Lower School students and faculty.
“I really like it,” said Emily Taylor (’18). “My favorite part is when they announce birthdays.”
Drew Finley (’15) especially loves the show’s theme song, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. “Almost everyone in my class does arm motions when it comes on,” he said.
Classmate Cara Key (’15) cannot wait for her turn to participate in the show next year. “It looks like so much fun,” she said. “If I become an actor when I grow up, I’ll have had the experience of getting up there in front of people each day, doing my best, and hearing them say, ‘Good job!’”
Librarian Ann Glass said the morning news is not only informative, but entertaining and uplifting as well. “As a teacher, it is a joy to see our older students so poised, professional and responsible,” she said.
Dr. Steve Bartholomew, director of Lower School, agreed. “Patricia and Cindy are introducing cutting-edge technology and innovations into our daily teaching,” he said. “Our students are participating in opportunities that will make them more knowledgeable and developing skills that will benefit them in their future educational pursuits.”
“Eye of the Tiger” is broadcast each school day morning at 8:05 a.m. from the WDLS studio on the Lower School campus. Other capabilities of the studio include remote taping, playback of broadcasts, and teacher-scheduled showings of videos/programming that enhance curriculum. Future plans include a continuous message board with background music on Comcast Channel 9 and streamlining video on Darlington’s Web site for viewing by parents and other interested parties.
