Atwater Elementary Converting Lab into Recording Studio

Atwater Elementary is taking another step into the digital age, with installation of a recording studio in the school to get underway in a few weeks.

Thanks to an $8,280 donation from the school’s parent teacher organization, Atwater will convert a third-floor science lab into a recording studio, outfitted with video and sound recording equipment and recording software.

Atwater Principal Tim Kenney said three teachers wrote a proposal for the studio and the first project will be taken up by a group of sixth grade students who will be tasked with creating some community service messages that focus on the district’s character education program. 

“The students will learn the skill of putting together the media productions,” Kenney said. “We are hoping to have it underway in the next two to three weeks.”

Kenney added the software will fit in well with other technology already in Atwater classrooms, so sharing the media productions with the school will be easy. 

He hopes to expand to bigger projects for students in the future.

Additionally, the school will purchase iPods for the school’s ELL program, books and material for first and second grade multiage classes and digital cameras for the school’s kindergarten classes with the donation, in addition to allocating some of the funds to a new listening center for first graders. 

The Atwater PTO makes a donation on an annual basis to the school to fill needs in the classroom, Kenney said. In previous years, the PTO has helped fund the purchase of SMART boards for Atwater classrooms.