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Woodmont students, staff showcase decade-long Paws the Wildcat video program
Summary
Woodmont School staff and students presented an overview of their long-running video program, Paws the Wildcat, describing production practices, community reach and plans for next year.
Woodmont School staff and students presented the school's Paws the Wildcat video program to the Montville Township Board of Education, describing a decade of student video productions and the project's role in school culture.
The presentation explained that Woodmont has posted roughly 51 videos to a YouTube channel called Paws the Wildcat, has about 653 subscribers and nearly 150,000 cumulative views that the presenters said reach viewers internationally. Staff described the videos as a cooperative, yearlong production that involves teachers selecting students who demonstrate kindness, good citizenship and strong effort; fifth graders traditionally are featured as lip dubbers in the end-of-year videos. Presenters said the program receives technical and editing support from the Montville Education Foundation (MEF) and the PTA, and that equipment has advanced over time from cellphones to GoPros and editing software.
Presenters walked the board through how classes pick themes, rehearse, assemble props and costumes, and how teachers handle editorial duties such as mixing music and post-production. Staff members credited the program for building school morale and serving as a “video yearbook” that alumni can view long term on YouTube. Daniella, a newer member of the production team, outlined efforts to keep the productions current with social-media trends and helped map production processes for future shows. The speakers noted the next video production will begin in June.
Board members and attendees praised the program during the meeting. Dr. Gorman and other board members remarked that the videos create a “treasure trove” of school memories and that the videos, along with Read Across America activities, help define each neighborhood school's culture. Several staff members and students who participated in the program were recognized onstage and the board viewed examples of the productions.
The presentation did not ask for specific board action; presenters and board members discussed the program's value, community reach and plans to continue producing videos.
