Edward Ortega, a faculty member at Aycock Elementary School, is shown at the far left as he directs students who are news anchors during the “Aycock News” broadcast on October 9.
Students and staff members at Aycock Elementary School receive important information about their school each Friday morning through the “Aycock News” television broadcast.
The approximately 10-minute broadcast, seen on televisions stationed in classrooms and other locations throughout the school, features students in grades 2-5 who serve as the news anchors and additional reporters who share information about the week’s weather forecast, the breakfast and lunch menus for the coming week and important announcements about upcoming events.
The broadcasts are done each Friday shortly after 8 a.m. and are led by Edward Ortega and Erika Barnett, both Aycock faculty members, who use lots of technology and hands-on direction with the students to complete each program. Ortega serves as the production manager for each broadcast. He sits at a table in front of a laptop computer and controls the sound and two cameras which depict the students at two separate stations. Each of the stations has a green screen serving as a background for the students. Ortega uses computer software to provide a variety of background images on the green screens. Two additional laptops are used to display the scripts and production schedule for the broadcast.
For the broadcast on October 9, Ortega had a red-white-and-blue U.S. Flag theme as the green screen background. The background was seen behind the two students who were the news anchors and the small groups of students who led everyone in “The Pledge of Allegiance” and students who reported the weather forecast, menus and school announcements. Barnett worked with the students to ensure that everyone was in the right place when it was time for them to be on camera.
The October 9 broadcast was special, because it featured brief speeches by students who were seeking officer positions on the school’s newly established Student Council. They gave their speeches and were scheduled to have their names on the ballots during Student Council elections on October 14.
The broadcast concluded with a few words from Squeaky, a hand puppet controlled by Barnett with a disguised voice from Ortega. Squeaky urged everyone to have a “Super Duper Day!”