As if the holiday season and the prospect of having a week off from school weren't enough, further excitement was generated in the Mineola Mineola School recently by students who, come next month, may see themselves on a popular kids television network.

Many children and parents alike are familiar with Nikelodeon and on a December morning and afternoon, 11-13-year-old students became a part of the world of television as the network visited the middle school to shoot video footage that will be used as 15 to 30 second spots for Nikelodeon.

In keeping with the network's belief that children should be given the chance to express their thoughts to other children around the country, Nikelodeon wound up at Mineola Middle School as part of the Kids Speak Out project, which will begin to air in January.

In the middle school auditorium, a "Yack Shack" was set up, encouraging children to speak about experiences. At just after noon, a class of about 25 students stood in front of the "Yack Shack," shouting with vibrant energy "Nick Yack, Nick Yack, Shack."

Nikelodeon Creative Resources Video Group Producer Katie Fitzpatrick gave the signal and the Mineola kids responded by giving the network hours worth of footage that can be condensed into the short TV spots.

Fitzpatrick said she originally had contacted some New York City schools for the project. However, when sites fell through, she turned to Mineola. "The kids were great and the school was so accommodating," said the satisfied producer as she explained that the shoot went off without a hitch.

Classes that participated in the project included those of Judi Daddario, Gail DeStefano, Kathy Devita, Amy Kolenick, Vince Interrante', Mike Kandel, Pete Hitchison, and Glenn Cocoman. The shoot lasted from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13.

Fitzpatrick said she was impressed with the cooperation of the students and staff of the district. Students carefully paid attention to her direction and the young producer constructed the project in a way that made it both fun for the students and educational. She even took time for a question and answer period so the students could ask questions.

What also impressed Fitzpatrick was the diversity of Mineola and the interesting anecdotes by the students. Mr. Hutchison said the experience proved to be fun for students as well as helping to develop their communication for social interaction skills. "It was a great opportunity," he added.

In appreciation for letting Nikelodeon use Mineola Middle School, Fitzpatrick presented middle school principal Dr. Fern Moskowitz with a check for $750 to be used for the school's extra-class activity account.