Budding cartoonists' work to air

ANIMATED SHORTS- Students from Sumac Elementary's Gifted and Talented Education program will see their original cartoons shown on public access cable television channel 25 at 3 p.m. Thurs., June 7, 14, 21 and 28. The fourth- and fifth-grade students studied Flash animation production as part of their school program. For more information, e-mail Jason Sikes at jsikes@lvusd.org. Sumac Elementary School's 2007 GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program taught Flash animation production and is culminating with a broadcast premier on TimeWarner Cable's local access channel 25 today, Thurs. June 7, at 3 p.m. The show will rerun the following three Thursdays at 3 p.m.

Ten production units made up of one to three fourth and fifthgrade students each conceived and animated a short cartoon.

"It has been a terrific experience for the kids to use the computer to realize a creative vision," said Karen Hansen, Sumac principal.

"Learning to work together as a creative unit was a valuable social lesson which will serve them for the rest of their lives," said Julie Birkett, Sumac GATE coordinator.

The cartoons produced are:

+"A Normal Chocolate Bar"- Alanna Moorman, Cameron Atwater, Victoria Gifford.

+"Fat Man"- Tyler Penta, Kevin Adams, Brandon Kosikov.

+"Home Run"- Mukund Nair, Albert Bao, Nicholas Kokiousis.

+"Ice Cream Rokkkks"- Chloe Bisland, Sophia Martin, Juliet Risko.

+"Bad Day"- Dylan Raiman.

+"The Stupid Girls"- Harper Lyon, Samantha Stutz, Gabby Lozoya.

+"Scooter"- Garrett Cornell, Gilbert Bao, Mike Florey.

+"My Dog Blew Up"- Max Miller, Justin Chi, Eric Winikoff.

+ "Digit"- Noam Leead, Cheyenne Moreau, Lee Solomon.

The program was taught by local web designer Jason Sikes, owner of Village Green Studios.