By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DEERFIELD TWP. - It's nearing show time and the seven second- and third-graders anxiously squirm in their seats and read their lines out loud for a final practice.
As soon as the school's technology aide, Bob "Techno Bob" Schnittger, gives the cue, the talkative bunch quiets down and delivers a nearly flawless, 10-minute news broadcast for their fellow students at Kings Mills Elementary.
"It's OK because they don't see the script," 8-year-old Rachel Borgemenke said about making mistakes.
She's one of two anchors at WKME Channel 20, the school's weekly television broadcast.
The newscast made its debutr this month, and runs Thursday mornings during school.
Students are in charge of the entire production: reading the news, explaining the weekend weather forecast, and operating the computer and camera switches
"It's fun," said Sebastian Montenegro, 8, who works on the switchboard. "I like cameras, so I really want to be a camera operator."
Mr. Schnittger, third-grade teacher Robyn Bersani and second-grade teacher Norma Arthur help the students with the equipment and writing the scripts.
The students practice together at least once a week.
"We practice it before (the show) and we get it in our heads," said Connor Hakes, an 8-year-old second-grader. "Then we really don't have to look at the (cue) cards."
The students had to fill out a job application and interview with a teacher to get on the show.
New students will be chosen each month, and the former broadcasters head the production, including directing and writing the cue cards, Ms. Bersani said.
Eventually, the staff hopes to incorporate live and recorded interviews into the broadcast.
Ms. Bersani got the idea at a technology conference from a school in Illinois with a similar broadcast.
Some Greater Cincinnati elementary schools - including those in the Lakota school district - also put on morning television broadcasts.
Besides being entertaining, the teachers said the broadcast is a way for students to learn teamwork, improve their listening skills and practice writing.
"I think it's a learning experience across the board," Ms. Bersani said. "They have to learn to make a mistake, get over it and move on."
E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com
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