Mid-Prairie West runs school news show

Fourth-graders at Mid-Prairie West Elementary organized a school news show series, part of the school’s first round of Kids’ Interest Clubs for the school year.

“We have our KIC clubs on Friday, and then we edit, and then everyone in the school watches it on Monday at the same time in their classrooms,” computer science teacher and club director Lori Simon said. “Then, we share it on YouTube and our social media page so parents can see it.”

Simon said the kids had a big say in the show’s production elements, including writing their own scripts and some editing decisions.

“They get to choose backgrounds that they want for the green screen,” she said. “This year they wanted to be introduced at the beginning of the broadcast, so that’s something they get to do as well.”

With all the hands-on work, Simon said the kids were beyond enthusiastic.

“They’re just so excited for what they could be,” she said. “They maybe wanted to be the camera man last week, and this week they get to be the anchor.”

That passion is what makes the project so rewarding for Simon.

“I love the kids’ excitement,” she said. “There is a buzz in the air when it’s a KIC day. They are so excited, kids do not want to miss a KIC day, they want to be there, and that’s what we want.”

The news crew had their own variety of reasons to like the show. For some, it’s about a duty to the public.

“I like to let people know what’s important and what they need to know about the whole (week) of news, but I always do it in just a few minutes,” fourth-grader Dempsey Carlson said.

For others, the show is simply fun to do.

“I really liked being the camera person because it’s really fun trying to get everybody in the correct positions and saying when to start when the recording is going and stopping, and if they need to retake it, then redoing in,” fourth-grader Ashur Eckhart said.

Writing so much of the show themselves can be a lot of pressure, but students said they always had help when they needed it.

“Mrs. Simon helps us pick our subjects, and if we don’t get our script done, she writes it for us,” fourth-grader Liam Frederick said. “I’ve never had it not done, I’ve always had it done in time.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com