S1 pupils have been having a hectic time this year taking part in the BBC News School Report, a nationwide competition to write, report and broadcast their very own news report. Meeting at both a Monday lunchtime and Tuesday after school, the group of 13 highly motivated budding journalists have been learning all about the news with the help of Miss Saunders (Modern Studies), Miss Shaw and Miss McKeown (English).
As part of their report, 5 of Craigmount’s News Team went along for an “access all areas” pass to the Scottish Parliament, including a behind the scenes tour of the parliament itself, plus interviews with prominent members of the parliament, including an interview with local MSP Margaret Smith, the head of education services, environmental facilities manager, Colin McKay, Radio Forth’s political journalist, plus the Presiding Officer, Alex Fergusson!
As well as interviewing some amazing people, the News Team have also been visited in the school by Rob Flett, Senior Editor for BBC Scotland in Edinburgh, as well as Radio Scotland’s Rob Pearson and Senior Broadcast Journalist Sandy Murray from BBC Scotland in Glasgow, to help mentor them on reporting and writing techniques. The whole group benefited greatly from all their visits and gave them much more confidence in reporting the news when it came their own report on young people and politics and the environment. The pupils were also able experience a camera technique tutorial with our own AV Technician, Malcolm Auld in preparation for the National News Day on 11th March 2010, taking place at Edinburgh’s Napier University.
All the News Team’s hard work paid off with an exclusive invitation to Edinburgh’s Napier Univeristy to take part in the BBC’s national News Day, an experience they will never forget. The News Team went along to the university’s Merchiston Campus for the entire school day and were immediately launched into live interviews on the BBC’s dedicated interactive news channel, as well as completing their own report using the university’s TV studio, high-tech cameras and editing suite. The group were interviewed throughout the day and even made an appearance on the lunchtime edition of Reporting Scotland! (See the highlights of the national news day, including an appearance from both Gavin Muir and Kathleen Campbell, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/school_report/8504453.stm)
Here’s what the News Team had to say about their experiences:
“Everyone who took part today was excellent. We think this experience is going to last for quite a long time and it could help you in the future. Craigmount had such a great time there and enjoyed it so much that it will be in our heads for ever and ever.” – Bethany Harper and Kathleen Campbell
" We all had a FANTASTIC time and are hoping that this was only one of many excellent opportunities the school has to offer." - Amy McCarry and Sarah Elliot
“It’s been worth the hard work!” – Kristin Busby and Ennais Bell
“It was a great learning experience” – Ben Thompson and Connor Ewing
