EAST STROUDSBURG -- Most schools start the day with the Pledge of Allegiance and some announcements. At J.T. Lambert Intermediate in Monroe County, they start the day with an entire morning TV show.
Tucked away in a small studio at J.T. Lambert Intermediate in East Stroudsburg, seventh and eighth graders work hard every morning to bring their fellow classmates the news.
The project started 11 years ago under the guidance of teacher Terry Toth.
"We started with two really old video cameras, two lights, a little backdrop," said Toth, a technology teacher at J. T. Lambert Intermediate.
Each morning starting at 6:45, the kids take their places, running audio, cameras, and teleprompter.
"It's a great social experience. It's a great learning experience. I'm learning a lot of tech work. I'm learning public speaking skills," said eighth grader Powell Posten.
Each student plays a key role in getting about five minutes of school news, sports, and weather on the air and even online.
"I actually record the broadcast and they put them on the internet so those of us at home who want to watch it can watch it. I use iWeb and iTV," said eighth grader Ryan Curry.
This week, Good Morning JTL is celebrating a big milestone: they'll be broadcasting their show right from their studios with a special half hour-long edition.
Former students will join the show using Skype, talking about how Good Morning JTL has helped them build careers.
"It's really nice to see this was something that was really meaningful to them when they were in seventh and eighth grade and they've taken it much further," said Toth.
For some of Toth's current cast they're already looking toward the future as well.
"I definitely want to major in communications when I'm in college and I want to hopefully get a job doing something with broadcasting or news," said eighth grader Leah Jardel.
The 2000th broadcast will be this Friday.
You can catch it on their website - Good Morning JTL.
One of our own here at WNEP will be on 'Good Morning JTL' this Friday. Kevin Fonash, a producer for Home and Backyard, is a graduate and will be part of the 2000th broadcast.