KLRN Kids & the Biscuit Brothers Jamboree

On Saturday, September 12, The Biscuit Brothers participated in the KLRN Kids Club Members-Only Event, Biscuit Brothers Jamboree, at Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne, TX. We had over 200 KLRN members come to this fabulous event.

The Biscuit Brothers’ four-piece band did a total of three on-stage performances for about a half-hour each. During these performances, The Biscuit Brothers involved the audience in all aspects of their performances, encouraging children, their parents and other attendees to dance, sing, and make suggestions for animals and animal sounds to be used in the songs.

Additionally, The Biscuit Brothers educated children in between the stage shows in the “instrument petting zoo.” There they were able to show the kids how each of the different instruments is played and the sound that each makes.

Kids and their parents enjoyed wagon rides through the ranch during the event. The rides were entertaining, as well as educational, since the ranch has a collection of unusual animals including Longhorn cattle, Emus, llamas, Red Stag and Chinese Deer, bison, reindeer, rams, and donkeys.

Burger King, a sponsor, donated the use of their moon bounce.

KLRN members had activity tables and were given a cowboy hat, bandana, and goodie bag.

All in all, many parents and child caregivers stated to staff that the event was fun and exciting for the children, and it was something their kids would remember for a long time to come.

Contributed by Lisa Marie Gibson. To learn more about KLRN Kids, visit klrn.org/kids.

Raising Readers: Mission Possible 2009

Raising Readers families took on a night of baseball with the San Antonio Missions Baseball Team! Under clear skies, Super WHY threw the first strike of the night! The children and their families on the Fiesta Party Deck cheered for Super Why, Alpha Pig, and Martha as the fans in the crowd clapped, hooted, and hollered. Throughout the evening, children posed with the characters wearing their spirit shirts and clutching their books. All clad in Super Why, Alpha Pig, Princess Presto, and Wonder Red masks, the children played on the deck wearing their new, autographed gloves as they threw the ball around with their new friends. Our fantastic reader, Naomi, chased the Puffy Taco during the 7th Inning Stretch. With a gentle nudge, the Taco collapsed before reaching home plate! We had an amazing evening cheering on the Missions to a victory. Books, bats, and balls… Mission Possible: Raising Readers ACCOMPLISHED!

KLRN Video Blog | September 1

Sesame Street Special Takes On Tough Times

On Wednesday night, September 9, join Elmo and a few friends for a primetime television special featuring brief documentaries about real-life families and the story of a Muppet family coping with the ups and downs of these uncertain economic times. Hosted by Al Roker, Deborah Roberts and Elmo and his friends, the special will offer help, hope and strategies for families and will encourage children to express their feelings and ideas as their families adjust to a new life.

FAMILIES STAND TOGETHER: FEELING SECURE IN TOUGH TIMES
Wednesday, September 9, 8 PM

Learn more at http://www.sesameworkshop.org/toughtimes

Watch a preview:

What a great tribute to a great show...

What a fantastic tribute to our friends on Sesame Street! Looking back at all of the stars, the years and the graphics and songs just brings back memories of my own about the show. Good times, Sesame Street! Keep up the good work and congratulations on the big 4-0.

The Principal Story Town Hall

Are you working on your degree in school administration or are you a veteran principal? Are you a school superintendent, professor of education or government leader committed to education reform? If so, make plans to join other education leaders in a unique opportunity to discuss school reform and the important role school leaders play in this effort. Presented by KLRN, this Town Hall will feature four local school principals and the producer of The Principal Story, Tod Lending, and will be hosted by Tanji Patton. Join us on Tuesday, September 1, 2009 in the Southwest Room at UTSA Downtown. A light dinner will be provided and all attendees will receive an outreach kit. Register now, seating is limited! Click here for more information and to RSVP.

To learn more about The Principal Story, visit the Wallace Foundation website here.

An Update on The National Parks: America's Best Idea

We've been talking about The National Parks: America's Best Idea since March when Ken Burns was in town. And now with the film scheduled to air in just over one month (9/27), the buzz continues to build, both locally and nationally.

SHARE YOUR STORY: Have you visited a National Park recently or do you have a story from a childhood visit? We are collecting your stories, photos and home videos at klrn.org/parks.

SCREENING AT MISSION SAN JOSE: Pack a picnic and bring a lawnchair for an evening under the stars in one of San Antonio's most beautiful historic settings. Join us for fun family activities, mariachis and preview The National Parks: America's Best Idea. Saturday, September 19, 6-9 PM.

SPONSOR THE BROADCAST LOCALLY: Help bring the history and stories of our National Parks to South Central Texans by underwriting the broadcast of the program on KLRN. Andrea Scotto, ascotto@klrn.org, can provide all the details.

KLRN Video Blog | August 17

Take a Peek at the PBS Press Tour

I love summertime. This is when PBS announces our fall lineup and it’s so refreshing when new programs are unveiled.

What’s even more exciting is that PBS has just returned from their press tour in Calif. and is already seeing the results of their efforts.

On a conference call I participated in yesterday with the PBS Communication Advisory Council, the media team reported “…strong media attendance, including the Associated Press, TV Guide Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and more than 130 other publications and Web sites with 60 million+ total circulation.” USA Today called last week’s PBS Press Tour “excellent” and Washington Post’s Lisa de Moraes said “PBS’s press tour is the best lineup by far.”

You can check out the PBS Press Tour yourself on YouTube. Among the highlights you’ll find:

• David Tennant brings a “breath of fresh air” to Masterpiece
• Astronaut Mike Massimino on twittering from Space
• Patti Smith interview outside of studio
• Paula Apsell and Susan Lacy give great overviews of the coming season and how they pick topics/ talent for each season
• Chiwetel Ejiofor – talks about filming in Africa, his parents birthplace
• The Electric Company’s “Shock” beatboxes the letters PBS @7:04

I could go on about what’s new this season, but don’t take it from me or PBS, check out the press tour yourself at http://www.youtube.com/pbs. I’ll look forward to reading your thoughts.

Your Opportunity to Walk with Dinosaurs

Have you heard that dinosaurs will be in San Antonio this fall? Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular will visit the AT&T Center on November 4 -8.

Anyone interested in dinosaurs, history, engineering, or robotics will be amazed at this show. The live show is based on the famous Walking with Dinosaurs series produced by BBC and seeks to once again bring dinosaurs to life. The entire floor of the AT&T Center will be cleared to make room for these massive creatures. KLRN viewers will have a chance to watch a behind the scenes documentary about this amazing production. “Walking with Dinosaurs: The Making of the Live Experience” will air this Sunday at 7:00pm. I’ve watched this program and, trust me, it will amaze you to see the amount of work that goes into designing and creating these life size creatures. …And I do mean life size. The largest dinosaur is 72 feet from nose to tail! Anyone familiar with engineering won’t be surprised to know that there are some tense moments. No design is every implemented without a few hitches. I don’t want to give away any details, so you’ll just have to watch. Don’t forget to tune-in to KLRN on Sunday (8/16) at 7:00pm.

Andrea.

P.S. Please note that the above clip is from the Live Experience event and not from the Making of… documentary.

Ruff n Stuff | KLRN KIDS Go Back to School

Families zoomed into the San Antonio Children’s Museum on Saturday, August 8, attending the Passport Back to School event. Over 1,100 people entered the doors and ventured to the Tooth Booth, the kid-powered elevator, and the H-E-B Kids’ Market, making new friends and having fun along the way! As children were engaged in play, they were learning! Any time is learning time and what a perfect location for children and their families to play together. It was amazing to see children pushing along their shopping baskets choosing their purchases and it was just as fun watching the parents observing and engaged too. Children stood in the middle of a large bubble in the Bubble exhibit, they dug for treasures and manned a front end loader. A special treat was the Fetch lab where they made catapults and released cotton balls; Ruff Ruffman, from the PBS KIDS GO! show, Fetch with Ruff Ruffman, made special appearances too.

Community partners shared important program information with parents and caregivers; they learned more about parenting programs, home-visiting programs, the important role they play as the child’s first and most important teacher, and about resources that are available for them in their communities! Children walked away with school supplies, backpacks, books, and smiles. We’re really excited that the event was such a hit and we look forward to the next time where we can help kick-off a new school year!

Blogger: Maricella Borroel

So What's KLRN Done for You Lately?

Katrina's back with a great big passel of fun stuff that KLRN's been up to...and even a little mystery for you to solve. But why write about it when you can see it for yourself?

It's Almost Time For...School!

Who is really able to pass up a kid-friendly, COOL place to bring the kiddos on Saturday? KLRN Kids, EarlyON, and the San Antonio Children's Museum are celebrating the beginning of a new school year with a Passport Back To School event featuring Ruff Ruffman, himself, from the PBS hit show Fetch! (Parents, remember to bring your cameras!)

Admission to the museum is FREE during the event, so gather the kids (they have to adjust to getting up early again anyway) and join us from 9a -11a at the San Antonio Children's Museum. Each child will receive a "passport" at the entrance along with a list of activity tables (stations) to visit. At each station, they will receive a stamp on their passport, and once the passport is filled with stamps, the child will get a bag full of goodies!

If you haven't been to the SA Children's Museum lately, be prepared for a great time. There is a new ball/gravity exhibit at the entrance, and kids can literally get trapped in there for hours just running their little hearts out (trust me, I've experienced it myself). If you are a frequent visitor of this great kids place, know that our activities will make this trip that much better.

Need more info? Give us a call 270.9000 or look for more upcoming events at www.klrn.org/kids (p.s. the Biscuit Brothers will be here in September!)

See you on Saturday!

Thursday Night's Conversations

If it looks like they're having fun, maybe it's because they are. The THEY are Juan Sepulveda, Julian Castro and Ricardo Romo and we brought them together to discuss the hurdles South Texans have to clear to get a higher education. Juan's new post with the Obama Administration's Initiative on Excellence in Education leaves him well qualified to speak, as do the resumes of San Antonio's new Mayor and UTSA's President.

This Conversations program was recorded at UTSA's downtown campus right after a gathering of educators and government folks had hashed over the high hills and deep ruts of south Texas' education landscape. The lively half-hour program runs the gamut on education, from TAKS test troubles to where they think the biggest hurdle to clear for getting a good education lies: and it’s probably not where you think! Check it out Thursday night at 8.

KLRN Update: Our first Video Blog entry

Katrina and Jack recently produced our first Video Blog with highlights from recent projects and a glance ahead at a couple of events and programs coming soon!

Let us know what you think of our first entry and stay tuned for more!

And as always, you can get frequent news and programming tips from KLRN on Twitter and Facebook!