Publication: Calgary Herald; Date:2006 Jun 01; Section:Neighbours; Page Number: N1

EAGLES ON AIR

NOW HEAR THIS!

Christian school uses radio station to spread news

LEANNE DOHY NEIGHBOURS

   As they wait in the parking lot, windows open to enjoy the early summer breeze, the sound of Eagles on Air rises in sync from dozens of car stereos.
   For TrinityChristianSchool parents, the radio station of choice offers news they can use, and, often, their very favourite sound: their own child’s voice.
   Eagles on Air is Trinity’s radio program, named in honour of the school’s sports teams. The broadcast before and after school updates the lot-full of waiting parents more reliably than pieces of paper stuffed into backpacks.
   “All of our parents pick up their children by car, because they’re not interested in busing,” says principal Stan Hielema. “So we’ve got all these parents waiting in the parking lot, and it’s a great opportunity for them to listen in and find out what’s happening.”
   The brainchild of parent and Realtor Fernando Aramburu, the enterprise began as part of his Calgary real estate business.
   “I put radio transmitters into the Calgary houses I had up for sale, with recordings about the features of each one,” Aramburu explains.
   “I got to thinking about the school. I have three daughters who go to Trinity, and I thought, ‘They probably don’t give me all of the announcements all of the time.’ ”
   He laughs when he remembers how his own teachers in Mexico City dealt with the challenge.
   “They would put the paper, with glue, on the back of my sweater,” Aramburu says.
   He knew that a radio broadcast of the school’s announcements would stick in people’s minds — rather than on children’s shirts — so he approached Hielema.
   “He was crazy about it,” Aramburu says.
   The next step wasn’t quite as easy. The school building, a renovated facility located in Midnapore, wasn’t as conducive to broadcasting as the residences Aramburu sells.
   They set up the antenna and the DVD player-sized console, but nothing happened.
   “Everyone was waiting for it to work, wondering when it would start working,” says Aramburu.
   He tried the antenna and wiring in various configurations, snapping photos of his arrangements and sending them to the manufacturer for guidance.
   “Nothing,” Aramburu says. “Still it wasn’t working. In Mexico City, in this case, we would say, ‘Earth, please swallow me now.’ ”
   After countless hours, he was not only able to get the system broadcasting, but to create a signal stronger than what he had originally hoped.
   “At first, it was just in the parking lot,” he explains. “Now you can hear the signal four or five blocks away.”
   Two months later, Hielema is thrilled with the equipment and its potential.
   “We have a great partnership with our parents, and we’re always looking to make it better,” Hielema says. “This is great for improving communication.”
   The announcements could be about the basics — a PD day next Friday, a field trip coming up, sports schedules — or they could involve other kinds of information equally important in a faith-based community.
   “It might be, ‘So-and-so is having surgery, please include her in your prayers,’ or another prayer request,” Hielema says.
   For the students involved in the broadcasts, it’s also an effective learning tool. Grade 9 DJs offer news, sports and weather information, and have interviewed fellow students.
   “We’ll get the little ones involved too, because it’s a great experience for them,” Hielema says.
   “Besides, the best way to keep parents listening is to let them hear their own child.”
   The broadcasts have offered an interesting window in to the junior high program, says parent Carla Berg, who has two elementary-age daughters in the K-9 school.
   “Since we’re a small school, the younger kids know or know of all the older ones, and they really enjoy hearing the broadcasts,” Berg says.
   “They keep it interesting, and make use of it in ways that uniquely fit a faith-based school. One of the students will interview another about how Trinity has been a factor in their relationship with Christ.
   “Of course, they’re kids, so they have a lot of fun with it, too.” Aramburu is thrilled that the program has taken off. “Everyone is happy,” he says. “There is so much they can do with it.” At first he had a small commercial about his business inserted into the broadcasts, but that was temporary. “It was a little ad, five seconds,” Aramburu says. “After a month, I said to take it out. It was boring, really. Now it’s all for them.” As a recent Latin immigrant, Aramburu wanted to celebrate the gift the school — and new home — have been for his family. “The school was the first contact we had with people in Canada,” he explains. “We’ve been very happy with the school. Everyone was so nice. It’s a blessing that we are here. “We’re so happy that we are here, and we wanted to give something back.” He has another transmitter and antenna, ordered at the same time as the first, that he says he would be happy to give to any school that gets in touch with him. Fernando can be reached through Royal LePage at 225-5000.
LDOHY@THEHERALD.CANWEST.COM

   Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald
Trinity Christian School students Andrew Walker, front left, and Nathan Thiessen, front right, are two of the hosts of a locally transmitted morning radio program for the school. The program is supervised by Principal Stan Hielema, back left, and is produced with equipment donated by Fernando Aramburu, back right.