UPPER GWYNEDD- “Hello and welcome to this edition of Mornings!” Do you recognize this phrase? It’s from the North Penn Television morning show. Now it’s not only the high school students that get to produce a morning show. Gwyn-Nor Elementary students have the opportunity to host one of their own shows mimicking North Penn High School’s setup, Gwyn-Nor Network.
Mr. Gerald Moore, the School Climate Coordinator at Gwyn-Nor Elementary school, has reimagined news broadcasting for the students interested in the world of TV. He created the Gwyn-Nor Network (GNN.) It is a unique experience that may make you wonder about how it is all put together. I went to Gwyn-Nor Elementary to find out.
The fifth and sixth grade students involved in the club arrive at school about a half hour before the first bell every Monday. In this meeting, Moore, along with two other teachers, led the students in an organized meeting about the segments for the week and the roles that all of the students would play in the broadcast.
“I want to give as many students the opportunity to participate as possible,” Moore told students.
While giving all of the students equal opportunities, Moore also highlighted the importance of coming up with ideas and producing your own media.
“If you have an idea or would like to do something, put it on the spreadsheet. Get the equipment, film it, and then we can include the clip on our video,” Moore said.
The inclusivity of the club was refreshing. Another aspect of GNN that was good to see was the positive feedback coming from the students. Their appreciation for their teachers and resources is something that is not taken for granted.
“The program is a very fun thing to do. It helps us enrich our minds because a lot of us want to be filmers and producers and news anchors. We can also get insight into what you guys are doing at the high school. It was really cool to come on the field trip and see what you are doing at the high school,” Gwyn-Nor student Mukund Manikandan said.
Along with Manikandan, student Demetrius Ciccone expressed his love for GNN.
“My favorite segment to film is the teacher interviews. I started last year even though I wasn’t signed up for the club, but I really enjoyed it,” Ciccone explained.
This year, GNN is projected to gain more traction with all of the new skills and club members. This will create a long-lasting, positive impact on Gwyn-Nor Elementary and North Penn School District.
“Last year we were kind of new. Now we are polished professionals. We will be able to make it more professional and use what we saw at North Penn High School to our advantage,” Moore said.
