THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9412010185
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY KRYS STEFANSKY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
BRAKES SQUEALING, bus No. 206 glided to a stop at the dark corner of Cambria Street and Cambria Court shortly before 7 p.m.
``Hi!,'' hollered out Margaret Moore, the school bus driver, as she swung open the door.
Kathy Garbow took several giant steps off the wet pavement and got on. Karen Solis climbed on next as her 5-year-old, Daniel, peeped out of her living room window across the street.
This evening, the ``children'' sitting in the big yellow bus looked old. In fact, one fellow in the front seat had a full beard.
Turnabout was fair play at Pembroke Meadows Elementary School the night of Nov. 17. While the school's 636 children stayed home with the dinner dishes, their parents were invited to walk in their shoes for a few hours at school.
The evening promised parents the chance to participate in sample lessons, a visit to the cafeteria and its new behavior incentive program, and a chance to sit in some really small chairs.
Garbow, whose second- and fifth-graders go to the school, got to do this last year when the program was being piloted.
``It's wonderful. It's the neatest program and better than the regular back-to-school nights,'' she said. This year, she made sure to get the whole treatment by riding the bus to parents' night.
The program is a spin-off of a daytime invitation where parents visit school to watch their children at work, said Wendee S. Long, a first-grade teacher and coordinator of the event.
``We felt like they didn't get a true picture, and we wanted them to experience what it felt like to be kids in the classroom,'' Long said. That meant even sending the buses around to their regular stops to pick up parents for their night at school. The evening hinged on the volunteer participation of the school's staff and bus drivers. Parents attended their choice of three 20-minute classes and a ``lunch'' break featuring juice and cookies.
``This gives parents an idea of what goes on in school and lets them see what we really do,'' said Bill Jenkins, the principal.
In the building - to snickers and giggles - teachers directed the pretend-children to walk down the sides of the hallways to the right of a red line painted on the floor.
``Single file,'' called out the hall monitors.
``Very good.''
``No running.''
``What a nice line.''
First stop was the cafeteria and a rousing round of ``Albuquerque Turkey.''
``We don't usually sing in the cafeteria,'' said Louise Powell, a first-grade teacher, but she made an exception.
Barbara Sessoms, the assistant principal, wasn't so indulgent. Spotting one ``youngster'' absently folding a paper airplane, she headed his way with a trash can and a disapproving look.
``Oh, my God,'' mouthed Marcus Joseph, the father of second-grader Mason and first-grader Laine, as all eyes were on him.
In her class, kindergarten teacher Barbara Joynt had no trouble with mischiefmakers. A dozen parents sat cross-legged on a square of carpet and read a book called ``Lions and Gorillas.''
``Can y'all say, `illustrator?' '' asked Joynt, explaining who had made the drawings.
``ILL-US-TRA-TOR,'' chorused the parents.
``Y'all are so smart,'' said Joynt.
Across the hall in Joan Rickman's kindergarten class, Russ and Ellie Weiler sat in their son, Vinny's, desk.
``We used his crayons,'' said his mom later, clearly relishing the experience.
Rickman liked giving the parents a crack at a hands-on activity.
Parent conferences were the next morning and, she noted, ``This is a good communication thing between parents and teachers.''
First-grade teacher Susan Hawkins used the opportunity to explain to her group of parents what story mapping is and how to get their children to identify a story's main character, setting, problem and solution. In music class with Cheryl Holm, moms and dads played xylophones. And Adele Castillo, an art teacher, taught mixing colors and paint with clay.
The highlight of the evening for many parents might have been a chance to play during a physical-education class. Jimmie Mitchell, P.E. assistant, demonstrated a warm-up exercise to music.
``This will help with your flexibility building in your fingers,'' she said, as the parents in front of her gestured in the air with their hands.
But Ray Schweitzer, the father of Laurel, a fifth-grader, had other problems. ``What about the flexibility in your knees,'' he grumbled, sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Flexibility wasn't a problem for Sandy Bryant, the mom of Jessica and Samantha, fifth- and fourth-graders. She hopped off a stack of tumbling mats, grabbed onto a rope dangling from the high ceiling and gave a loud and surprised ``Whoooop!'' As she swung forward, the blouse of her pants suit sailed out behind her and her high heels dangled in the air.
By 9 p.m. Kathy Garbow went back to her house on Cambria Street with a blue Panther Paw for good behavior in the cafeteria and new admiration for her children.
``I went to P.E. to climb the rope and I couldn't do it,'' she said, grinning and hopping back on the bus for the ride home. ILLUSTRATION: Photos, including color cover, by L. TODD SPENCER
Kendra and Pascal Merlet clown around in Cheryl Holm's music class
during the parents' abbreviated school night at Pembroke Meadows
Elementary.
In her class, kindergarten teacher Barbara Joynt had no trouble with
mischiefmakers. A dozen parents sat cross-legged on a square of
carpet and read a book called ``Lions and Gorillas.''
Assistant principal Barbara Sessoms keeps Kendra Merlet and other
parents in line while they walk to one of their 20-minute classes.
ABOVE: First-grade teacher Susan Hawkins used the opportunity to
explain to Mike Bliley and other parents what story mapping is and
how to get their children to identify a story's main character,
setting, problem and solution.
LEFT: In Joan Rickman's kindergarten class, Ellie and Russ Weiler
sat - somewhat comfortably - in their son, Vinny's, desk. ``We used
his crayons,'' said his mom, clearly relishing the experience.
by CNB