“Which letter stings you,” asked Bee Cave Elementary School (BCE) fifth-grader Jess Giles.
“I don’t know, which letter?” replied fellow classmate Jessica Askey.
“The letter ‘B’,” said Giles.

And so went the ‘Joke of the Day’ during a recent morning announcement. All kidding aside, however, this wasn’t the typical school ‘PA’-style broadcast. Instead, all eyes were on Giles, Askey, and several other classmates taking part in an exciting, new endeavor that has their teachers and fellow peers literally taking notice.
Known as the ‘KBCE Bobcat Broadcast,’ morning announcements are streamed live into each classroom via the Internet, allowing all students and teachers to view the day’s news in real time.
“The broadcast has been a goal of mine for some time now,” said BCE principal Janie Braxdale, who modeled the program after a similar endeavor with previous employer Round Rock Independent School District. “The students here (BCE) have really made this project their own. It’s a real joy to sit back and watch it unfold each morning.”
Funded primarily via the school’s PTO, the Bobcat Broadcast was first launched in September and is co-produced by campus technology assistant Susan Wauer and music teacher Daniel Davis. “The broadcast has really opened a world of opportunities for our students,” said Wauer. “It has helped them to refine core skills such as writing and public speaking, not to mention the technical experience in broadcast journalism. The students are learning confidence and self-direction.”
The broadcast, which consists of the morning pledges, the day’s weather, timely announcements, and an occasional ‘joke of the day,’ is aligned with the school’s curriculum, with an emphasis on character development. According to Wauer, the broadcast does not interfere with the regular instructional day.
“Students arrive at 7:35 each morning and begin to assemble and rehearse all facets of their production,” said Wauer. “The broadcast includes one camera operator/director, one camera operator/cue cards, two anchors, and two technicians to run audio and video controls.” The audio/video board has the ability to integrate material recorded on DVD and iPod, added Wauer.
“At the beginning of the fall semester, the parents of all fifth grade students received information concerning the Bobcat Broadcast in their Tuesday folders,” recalled Braxdale. “Those (students) who were interested in the program were asked to sign a form and schedule an ‘interview’ with Ms. Wauer, Mr. Davis, our Gifted and Talented teacher-Ms. Heather Anderson-and myself. We wanted our students to understand the responsibility and commitment they would be making. No prior broadcasting experience was required,” quipped Braxdale.
Approximately 25 students-or one-fourth of all fifth graders-have been a part of the broadcast teams during the current fall semester. In the spring, another 25 students (fourth and fifth graders) will participate in the broadcast as part of the after school programming at BCE.
Aside from routine content, Davis and Wauer also meet with students on Monday afternoons to plan and produce special projects such as the making of a behind-the-scenes documentary on BCE, developing public service announcements, and highlighting special program offerings such as the school’s Discovery (Gifted and Talented) program. “Our teachers and students are always bringing new ideas for the broadcast, and we can’t wait to see what the future will bring,” concluded Wauer.
Several other campuses in the District have expressed an interest in developing a similar program.