In preparation for the 100th anniversary of West Woodland Elementary next year, Jan Dalby’s fourth-grade class is creating a commercial that will be broadcast on commercial television asking for memories from past and present students in hopes of creating a DVD of school memories.

“What they are doing is putting together a message that invites the public to send in pictures of activities or things that they did when they were at West Woodland (...) and those who are willing to be interviewed with memories,” Dalby said.

Paula King, education technologist and West Woodland second-grade teacher, will be assisting the fourth graders with shooting video and learning the ins and outs of broadcasting and technology.

“Jan Dalby is what we call my peep,” King said. “I’m the technologist in the building and I help her think of projects to incorporate technology.”

The school’s goal is to have the fourth-grade class do the introduction to the video and then gather as much material to create a 100-year's of memories DVD to represent the school, King said.

“They’ll be the pushers," she said. "And we might get people who want to be interviewed by kids on camera and that’s what we’re going for."

Erik Lew and Cole Zeni are what Dalby considers her roadies. Choosing to work behind the scenes, they both handle the camera, the placement of people on set and holding up the cue cards.

“I’m learning more about our school because some stuff we’re doing we didn’t even know,” Zeni said.

“It’s the 100th anniversary of West Woodland and personally I thought it was only around since 1991,” said Jake Rehfeldt, a spokesperson asking people to send in information on West Woodland’s historical past. “I found out that was only the remodeling and I think it’s really cool that I get to be apart of the 100 years.”

Most of the fourth-graders have earned their computer "driver’s license" in the school’s computer lab during the before-school program or at the after-school technology program.

“There are several students who are way past me,” Dalby said. “It is so funny because it’s 'action,' 'quiet on the set' and that’s coming from them.”

The students have practiced and had some run throughs. They’ve video taped, watched the video, critiqued themselves and decided that they have to work on a few things like annunciate better, stand up straight, and learn how not to look like a deer in the headlights, Dalby said.

“It’s bringing in kids to what the real world is like,” King said. “The enthusiasm is already there and they’re so excited to get a chance to learn. I have a lot of training to show them, but we wanted it to be a kid project and that’s the fun part of it, is to watch their enthusiasm and see them learn.”

Past and present students, staff are asked to send in pictures and or memories to pbking@seattleschools.org with the subject line WW Anniversary. Please also let them know if you are interested in being interviewed.