This story previously appeared in the September Camden Connections Newsletter.
CAMDEN, NY - It’s 7:40 a.m. on a Monday at Camden High School. While hundreds of students ease into their weekly routines, a group of eight students in Room 245 are already diving into their next big project.
WCHS News is a repeatable elective course led by instructor Mrs. Kristin Myatt. The course is designed to introduce students to the process of television production through hands-on studio experience, while also lending a hand to the school community by adding a personal touch to the morning announcements that are delivered to classrooms each day.
Students produce the show in a scaled-down reproduction of an actual news studio, complete with a green screen, teleprompter, broadcast lighting, and an industry-standard Newtek Tricaster video switcher.
It all comes together to give students valuable field experience without leaving school grounds. The studio is also a laboratory for strengthening critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills in a fast-paced environment that can benefit any career path a student desires.
“We are critically thinking every day with little room for error,” Myatt said. “We learn the most on the days when everything goes wrong but are also pretty proud of ourselves on the days when things go flawlessly. I think it's a fun way to start the school day because we are interacting, laughing, and all working together towards the same goal.”
WCHS News has been in operation since 2016, and has prepared several students for future pursuits in the field. Past students in the course have gone on to study a related field at college, and some have taken the next step with opportunities at WKTV NewsChannel 2 and Warner Brothers Studios.
Camden High School has also added an opportunity to explore the field in greater depth through a new Broadcast Journalism elective that Myatt expressed great excitement about. The course is taught by Mr. Connor Downing, and it aims to build on the foundation set by the WCHS News Practicum.
To see WCHS News in action, you can find recorded newscasts on the “Daily Announcements”section of the Camden High School webpage.