Chestnut Mountain Elementary School

Have you ever wanted to be a TV star? Perhaps replace Dan Rather or Katie Couric one day? Well, the kids at CMES work towards that goal on TV every day and they love it! Our daily News crew at WKID completely produces a live news program to be broadcast school-wide every day, from writing scripts, to operating a camera and sound board, these students are a step ahead when it comes to communication.

The program, developed by Susan Miller, Rachel Southard and Jay Stalvey, is designed to promote reading, writing and communication skills in our students in grades K-5, while acclimating students to daily current events and news, and making routine daily announcements fun.

Our fifth grade students at CMES work the newsroom on a rotating basis, working the 2 cameras, the sound mixer, the video mixer, developing stories and interviews, anchoring our 2 news slots, and directing the live program. Each day, one of our administrators will cover daily announcements and encourage student readers to share stories they've written in class before leading the school in the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of reflection. Each grade level has a day of the week that they can read written works that have been recommended by the teachers. The students love to be on TV and therefore practice reading and writing. The news crew walks around with their chests puffed out and learns the nuances of live TV and effective communications skills. It's a fun time for all, and they might even learn a thing or two before they are done.