Moncton students keep school community informed with their own newscast
Budding new broadcasters gave a behind-the-scenes view of Moncton's newest newscast. KWA News is produced by students in Grades 5 through 8 at Kingswood Academy Montessori School in the city's north end.
Production for the news show began earlier this year as a way to keep parents up-to-date with the happenings at the school, but the program quickly became a much bigger project.
Principal and teacher, Kristie Strunk, has been overseeing the project, but says the students have been the driving force behind the show.
"They've grown and developed to where it was a one-shot deal to start with and now they're practising and they're writing their scripts and their lines and thinking more about the organization as what needs to go with their stories," says Strunk.
Students take on all the roles of a typical newsroom; producing, editing, reporting, and anchoring.
Grade six student, Lubna Banglawla, has been the show's lead anchor. She says she doesn't mind the pressure of being in front of the camera.
"I don't get nervous with that because I know the script most of the time, I've practiced it," says Banglawla.
Students are tasked with finding their own stories and going out into the community to conduct interviews. It's a task Grade 6 student Liv Rinzler enjoys.
"Being a reporter is fun. It can sometimes be a little bit stressful because you're trying to talk really clear and not mess up your lines and sometimes you're like say you have to do this again and again but eventually, you get it and then you listen to it over and you think 'oh that sounds good, I want that one," says Rinzler.
The school recently received a financial grant dedicated to keeping students interested in school. Strunk says it allowed her to update the equipment used to create the newscast.
"We started out just recording it on the children's phones, tablets, or whatever, and now we've been able to purchase new equipment; the camera, the microphone, the green screen and take it to another step," said Strunk.
Rinzler says the upgrade has made a big difference in the quality of the show.
"It's awesome because you can see how much we've developed with the green screen, the camera, the filming, the voices, the sounds. You can see how much we've changed from the start to the finish," says Rinzler.
Thanks to the KWA newscast, some students have even expressed interest in a future career in the industry.
"I've really enjoyed it. This is our last one for the year, and we're going to continue next year which I think will be a lot of fun," says grade 7 student, Elanore MacPherson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.