THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 2, 1995 TAG: 9512020566
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
From the first words he barked, high school Naval ROTC cadet Clarence Willey made clear that he would tolerate no nonsense under his watch.
``The first and last words out of your mouths should be `Sir!' when you answer the roll,'' Willey, a senior at Booker T. Washington High, told the 26 fifth-graders lined up in three rows.
``Sir, yes sir,'' the youngsters said in unison, but not quite loud enough to satisfy Willey.
``Is that understood?'' he shouted.
``SIR, YES SIR,'' the kids yelled back.
From here on out, this group of Coleman Place Elementary School kids will be known as ``Charlie Company.''
Under the tutelage of students in Booker T.'s Naval Jr. ROTC unit, they will learn the spit-and-polish lessons of military life, from respectfully obeying orders to marching in step and working as a team.
It's all part of an innovative program organized by Coleman Place's head guidance counselor, Michele Cross.
The goal, she said, is to help the children build self-esteem, develop leadership skills and improve their school performance. Many of the kids have performed poorly in school or been behavior problems. Others are doing well now but are were picked because they would be the first in their families to attend college.
Most of them come from low-income families. Nearly 70 percent of Coleman Place's 756 students qualify for the federal free- and reduced-price lunch program.
``It's basically targeting what we call our at-risk students,'' Cross said. ``What we're trying to do is to motivate them to be better students and to let them know they can be successful. It's gotten our kids totally psyched up - they all want to join.''
Friday was the first day of the program. Willey and a half-dozen other cadets showed up after school and worked with the kids for 30 minutes inside Coleman Place's auditorium.
The cadets, outfitted crisply in their uniforms, taught the kids how to stand at attention - hands cuffed at the waist, feet at 45-degree angles - and a couple of motion drills.
``From now on, you're going to work as a team, that means you're going to work as one,'' instructed cadet Tyren Frazier, a senior who helped organize the ROTC unit's efforts. Frazier, a Boy Scout, plans to make his work at Coleman Place a community service project he needs to become an Eagle Scout.
``We've been where they are and we're younger than their teachers so we can reach them better,'' said Frazier, the product of a single-parent home who plans to study physical education at Old Dominion University.
As an incentive, the children have to complete class work and homework assignments to participate in 30-minute sessions, which will be held weekly on Fridays for the next few months.
Cadets will tutor kids who don't complete their work. Any child who gets suspended or more than one notice of bad conduct from a teacher is automatically out, Cross said.
Teachers, parents and students are enthusiastic about the program's potential for success.
``In my opinion, before learning can take place they have to be taught how to respect each other and to have values and to believe in themselves,'' said fifth-grade teacher Bessie Pender. ``You have to meet their needs on a lot of different levels. If they see a program they can join in high school this at least could give them a vision to stay in school.''
``I think it's great,'' said parent Leslie Boone, who watched the cadets at work Friday. ``It gives them a sense of discipline, organization and self pride.''
Her daughter, Erica Quinlan, an honor student and Charlie Company member, added: ``It's fun. When you grow up you have to learn to follow rules and stuff. You learn something you didn't know before.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA, The Virginian-Pilot
Tannya Cooper, seaman recruit of JROTC, instructs students Friday on
how to line up at Coleman Place Elementary. The school's head
guidance counselor says the program is very popular.
by CNB