By Eileen Oldfield, Staff Writer
Radio announcer collects anecdotes for spelling bee program
Sunnymead Elementary School third-graders have stories about arranging guinea pig romances, helping a 21-year-old brother spray their dad’s hair with an entire can of hairspray and hitting siblings in the head.
WPLJ-FM (95.5 FM) radio announcer Brad Blanks visited Sunnymead School’s five third-grade classes Tuesday, and those stories will be broadcast to the tri-state area as part of the station’s “Brad Blanks Spelling Bee.”
Mr. Blanks interviewed 25 students for the spelling bee segment, which is part of the station’s “Scott and Todd” morning show. At the end of the interview, the students spelled a word relating to their stories.
During the spelling bee show, listeners hear the interview and are asked to guess whether a child spelled the word correctly for a chance to win a prize.
The segments will air Tuesdays around 7:45 a.m. — Mr. Blanks expected the segments with Sunnymead students to air beginning Tuesday.
Joanne Deshenski, mother of Sunnymead academic skills instructor Lisa Nawrotzki, helped arrange the visit. According to Ms. Nawrotzki and academic skills instructor Dawn Purdy, Ms. Deshenski coordinates Montgomery-based Carrier Clinic’s annual golf outing, a fundraising event WPLJ sponsors. Ms. Deshenski recommended the school for the spelling bee feature, Ms. Nawrotzki said.
In the three years Mr. Blanks has been doing the segment, he’s never planned the questions he asks the students.
”I just get in there and get a feel for the kids,” Mr. Blanks said. “Every kid has a great story to tell.”
Mr. Blanks spoke with five students from each third-grade class, asking about their summer vacations, families and favorite activities.
”You just have to find that golden nugget, and they run with it,” he said. “Even kids where you think they’re not talking, they are.”
For some students, the “golden nuggets” included explaining how badly grandpa snores, the time dad looked like the Incredible Hulk, being attacked by a wave at the beach and hiding the Cap’n Crunch and Lucky Charms so dad doesn’t eat it all.
Though the “Brad Blanks Spelling Bee” only airs once a week, Mr. Blanks spent about two hours interviewing the students.
”It’s two-and-a-half hours of full-on performance,” Mr. Blanks said. “It’s delving into the minds of kids.”
