At left, Spencer Brown and Riley Grey rehearse the Falcon Fitness segment while the rest of VGTV’s staff wait off-camera. (Below) Edie Sparks, left, and Leonard Nelson help run VGTV by tinkering with equipment and encouraging poise.
But it isn’t all hard work and no play. VGTV students get to take field trips to Cisco, the fire station (one VGTV-er got to interview the firefighter who delivered him) and interview people they wouldn’t otherwise talk to, such as a 100-year-old neighbor. “I really like the interviews, I think the one I did today was the most fun because we got to learn what life was like in the early 1900s,” Brady said of the interview segment with his family friend, Evelyn Cleaver. At the same school board meeting, Trustee Ken Mintz complimented the VGTV crew on their poise. “It’s great to see — the impact it has on the whole school. I’m sure there are a lot of younger kids who look forward to having their turn,” he said. Fourth-graders run VGTV during the
week that the fifth-graders attend outdoor education classes in Marin and younger students are encouraged to be guests on the show. VGTV students are working on ways to get more students involved, which may include recruitment presentations to individual classes. Aside from fame, glory, communication skills and leadership, there is another practical reason for getting students involved in television production, parent volunteer Tustin Ellison said. “As technology gets more prevalent, it will become more interactive,” said the former Contra Costa Times photographer. “These kids will have a leg up in high school where, instead of having to do a book report, they’ll have to do a video.” For more information on VGTV, visit Vista Grande Elementary’s website. ■
FROM DANVILLEEXPRESS.COM AND SANRAMONEXPRESS.COM
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As technology gets more prevalent, it will become more interactive. These kids will have a leg up in high school where, instead of having to do a book report, they’ll have to do a video.
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parent volunteer Tustin Ellison