The atmosphere inside the West Elementary School cafeteria was electric last Friday morning when kindergarteners were introduced to guest speaker and WHNT News Channel 19 chief meteorologist Jason Simpson.
Simpson, who was welcomed by a large banner and cheers from the students, said visiting schools and talking to students is one of his favorite things to do outside the studio.
“I’ve always said this is the most fun part of my job—getting out of the office, getting away from the camera and coming to actually see kids and have fun with them,” he said. “Getting to see their faces light up when you show them something they’ve never seen, that’s a lot more fun than staring at a camera.”
Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Cox’s husband, Rodney, has developed a friendly relationship with Simpson over the years. He asked if Simpson could talk to his wife’s class remotely. Simpson countered with an even better offer.
“Rodney and I connected years ago on Twitter, and him and I have become friends over social media,” he said. “He just asked if I could do a remote visit via Skype or FaceTime. I said, ‘Shoot. Why don’t I just come to Russellville?’
“I don’t get over here nearly enough, so I just hopped in the car and came on over.”
Cox said her students were ecstatic when they found out Simpson was coming to visit and speak to them.
“Some of my kids were telling me how they’ve been watching him on TV, and they’ve been so excited to see him,” she said. “It was very gracious of him to take the time to come up here to speak to them.”
Being on television every day provides Simpson with an avenue to build his connection with younger viewers. By doing so, when he goes to speak to a class or at a school, the students are already familiar with him.
“Being on television helps establish a relationship,” he said. “I want to make sure [the students] are comfortable with me. If I’m doing my job right, then the kids are comfortable and we’re learning and having fun.”
During his presentation at West Elementary, Simpson displayed slides on a PowerPoint, read the students a story and discussed a variety of weather topics.
Simpson, who tries to make regular visits to schools around north Alabama, says entertaining the children first is the key to getting them to pay attention to your message.
“You have to have some fun to grab their attention,” he said, “and then you can throw a few simple things at them so they’ll understand that when [meteorologists] are on television, they’re telling them something important.
“When you see me on TV and there’s a bunch of green blobs and red outlines on the counties, that’s when you need to pay attention,” he added while speaking to the kindergarteners.
Even though the experience was a fun one for the students, Simpson’s reasons for speaking are always serious. Citing the deadly tornados of April, 2011, Simpson says kids are never too young to learn about the weather and how to be safe from its dangers.
“I never bring that day up with children because I don’t want to scare them,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s the reality of dangerous weather. But I think if we can approach it in a fun way–a more generic way–then we can drive the point home. It’s good to be aware, it’s good to know how to get information, because it will, at some point, save your life.”
After studying weather in her classroom, Cox says her students are aware of the impact Simpson plays in the community.
“My kids know the importance of what he does,” she said. “When he’s on TV, they know that he’s trying to keep them safe.”
