By Pam Kiriakidis
WANDONG Primary School students took over the microphone at OKR FM 98.3, Mitchell Community Radio, to interview a teacher and discuss school life for national Children’s Week.
Matilda and Ruby took turns asking questions to Stephanie McNabb, a grade five and six teacher in her first year at Wandong Primary School.
Station committee member Mark Perrott accompanied the girls in asking questions to Ms McNabb, discussing subjects such as pets, siblings, favourite subjects and cooking when they went to air at 4pm, and playing Halloween-themed music during breaks.
Ms McNabb said she was honoured to join the segment, as she got to watch the girls perform their weekly show at the station on Wednesday afternoons.
“I was excited to be able to see the girls doing really cool stuff outside of the school,” she said.
“I am often in my classroom quite early in the morning, they’ve sort of we’ve built up a rapport by coming in out of the cold into my classroom.”
Ms McNabb said the girls initiated the interview on their own, creating their own material to prepare for the broadcast and developing skills outside the classroom.
“It’s really something that like you wouldn’t see very much from kids this age. Just skills that you don’t get in a classroom, really unique skills that they will take with them for life,” she said.
Throughout the segment, Matilda and Ruby often introduced themselves with Ms McNabb and announced their own segways to broadcast their chosen music.
Ms McNabb said the platform was a chance for the students to practise communication skills as part of their learning at Wandong Primary School.
“It’s good opportunity for them to be able practise general questioning. All those general social skills, especially during COVID, you didn’t really get an opportunity to do,” she said.
“Even when you come up to grade five-six, being able to respectfully listen and have a conversation where you’re conscious of the other people that are involved … [it’s great to make] sure that you’re using those manners.”
