'On the air'

Provided by Dalton Public Schools

December 25, 2007 10:19 pm

— Brookwood Elementary recently implemented a new communication tool for parents and the community with the launch of a school radio station. Named “The Lion’s Roar” after the school’s mascot, the station is on the radio dial at 99.9 FM and broadcasts within a one-block radius of the school 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Brookwood teacher Paul Weaver says the idea for a radio station came about during a school council meeting.
“The school council consists of students, parents, teachers, administrators and local business representatives,” he said. “The council thought the station would be a great way to help parents and the community stay connected to our school.”
Principal Will Esters asked Weaver to be in charge of broadcasting for the station.
“Coach Weaver is a great teacher,” Esters said. “The students admire and look up to him and he is great at organizing and making things happen.”
It didn’t take long to get the radio station started.
“We purchased the equipment with money designated for parent communication,” Esters said. “The funds can be used to celebrate student achievement and keep parents informed about our school. The radio station is a wonderful way to do that.”
The equipment is simple. There is a microphone, a small recording box and a FM transmitter that puts out a very weak signal. The school sent out a test broadcast for two weeks prior to starting the real broadcasts.
“We just wanted to make sure that the station didn’t interfere with any other radio stations in the area,” Esters said. “We didn’t receive any feedback, so we started our student broadcasts.”
Weaver and different student volunteers from the third, fourth and fifth grades gather in the morning before school every three or four days to pre-record the information for the broadcasts.
“We opened it up to anyone in third through fifth grade who wanted to give broadcasting a try,” Weaver said. “We have roll call in the morning, and I simply went into the classrooms and went down the roll, asking the students to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to indicate if they wanted to participate.”
Weaver was a little surprised by the outpouring of student volunteers.
“Some students have been very excited by it, even more than we expected, and it’s just been a fantastic experience,” he said. “Since we started early in the year, we should be able to give all our student volunteers the chance to be on the radio. The kids love hearing themselves on the air.”
The four-and-a-half-minute broadcast replays on a continuous loop. Weaver and his students try to get as much information as possible into those minutes. Teachers and administrators drop notes and e-mails to Weaver about upcoming events, classroom announcements, student accomplishments, club meetings and anything else they want to communicate to the public. Information from the school calendar is included as well.
The small room in the library where the broadcasts are recorded comes alive with activity when Weaver and the students meet to share the microphone. The students eat breakfast, discuss the written script, and practice learning their lines. After a few practice sessions, Weaver starts the real recording and does an introduction for the broadcast. The students then join in with their announcements.
“We practice until everyone feels comfortable, then we start the recording process,” he said. “But we always have the option to erase the message and start over if there’s a big mistake. The kids usually just laugh about having to start over; they’re good sports about it.”
The students finish recording by the time the first bell rings.
“I wanted to make sure that we didn’t take any time away from instruction, recess or lunch, so we get everything done before school starts,” Weaver said.
While the students are having fun on the radio, they’re also learning important skills. They help Weaver proofread and fine tune the script he writes for each broadcast.
“We discuss how things sound and whether to change lines or words,” he said. “That keeps the material near their reading level, but it also challenges them with harder sentences. The kids are learning new words all the time.”
Weaver notes the students are gaining confidence and learning about language arts, public speaking skills and journalism skills.
“We always discuss what’s important to report, and what we should leave in or take out,” he said. “I know that helps the kids with their writing skills.”
There has been an impressive change in confidence in some students who have participated in the broadcast, according to Weaver.
“We have some kids who are shy, and some kids who just don’t talk very much,” he said. “But give them the microphone and they’re like a flower opening up. They speak clearly and loudly and just take off with it. Their teachers are so surprised because they’ve never seen that side of those students.”
Students have great things to say about The Lion’s Roar. Fifth-grader D.L. Goins enjoyed his turn on the radio.
“I liked practicing with the microphone, but no one could hear me until we recorded it,” he said. “My mom will get to listen to me while she waits in the carpool line.”
Fourth-grader Shelby Fromm also liked being on the air.
“I‘ve never had a chance to be on the radio before,” she said. “It was really fun.”
Both students hope to have another chance to participate in a broadcast before the end of the school year.
“I would definitely volunteer to be on the radio again,” Fromm said.
Esters said the radio station has been a wonderful addition to the school’s overall communications plan.
“The station joins our Web page and our virtual lobby (which has pictures and announcements in a screen-saver type format accessed through the Web page), as another great tool to keep parents informed,” he said. “When we keep parents informed, they are more likely to be involved.”
Weaver has received positive responses from students, parents and teachers.
“Parents are listening to the broadcasts in the carpool line, and I turn the station on in the gym so the kids can hear their voices,” he said. “The kids love the station, it’s a great teaching tool, and we’re just really excited about getting it on the air.”

For Brookwood School news, tune to 99.9 FM (broadcasts within a one-block radius of school) or visit the school’s Web site at www.bkwdschool.org.