THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605190045
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
While carnival workers collect tickets at the Ferris wheel and sell corn dogs to hungry festival-goers, they no longer need worry that their children are neglecting their studies.
For the first time in its 55-year history, Amusements of America, the company that provides midway attractions for the Chesapeake Jubilee and other fairs and festivals, has its own private school for the children of its employees.
``In the past, workers had to leave their wives and children behind during carnival season,'' said Dianne Joubert, a concessionaire and one of the school's organizers.
``Now the families can stay together and the children still receive their education,'' she said.
The school is reminiscent of the one-room school house of yesteryear, except that the classroom is housed in a two-room trailer.
``We ripped out the vinyl floor, put in a hardwood floor and tried to make it look as much like a classroom as we could,'' said Dominic Vivona, the manager and part-owner of Amusements of America. Vivona said the company has applied for accreditation for the school in Florida, where the troupe spends its winters.
Outside the trailer sits a newly constructed computer table and bookshelves. These will be housed in the trailer's small back room, already known as the computer room to the students although there's no computer there yet. Carpeting and paneling sit on the floor of the room, waiting to be installed.
``Our next stop is Washington, D.C., and that's where we are going to put this all together,'' said Pete E. Yedinak, the students' one and only teacher.
Still, the carnival school has all the attributes of a modern classroom. A U.S. flag hangs on the wall between the children's drawings of their latest science topic: alligators.
A blackboard hangs on the opposite wall, and a small library with encyclopedias, science books and children's reading materials sits behind a desk that is shared by the children. A globe, student papers, drawings and a math project involving M&M candies and paper cups are on Yedinak's desk.
``I'm teaching the children to add using the M&Ms. When they get their equation right, they get to eat the project,'' he said.
The 10 students range from kindergarten to fourth grade and are instructed in reading comprehension, math, science, art and other subjects.
The first day of school for the students was last week, and they will remain in school until early November when carnival season ends. In between, parents will attend PTA meetings and the students will be issued report cards and taken on field trips, an obvious perquisite at a school that travels throughout the East Coast.
Right now, Yedinak is teaching his students about what they will see on an upcoming trip to the Smithsonian Institution.
The school week runs from Wednesday through Sunday. On Mondays and Tuesdays the carnival packs up and travels to the next town, the next carnival.
Each school day begins with the Pledge of Allegiance and a Bible verse, which is in keeping with the school's Christian curriculum.
According to Yedinak, his school's arrangement has several advantages over traditional classrooms.
``We have far more one-on-one attention here than in a normal setting,'' he said.
Richard A. Potenzone, chief maintenance engineer for the carnival, sat in on a few classes before deciding to move his wife and 5-year-old son Michael from Florida so the child could be enrolled in the program.
``I was pleased,'' he said. ``The instructor has a military background and is a little strict, which I like.
``And I like the idea that if a student is a little behind or ahead of the class, the teacher can work with him individually.''
But Potenzone admitted that he has concerns about the school, especially about funding for resources.
Tuition for the school is $35 a week for employees of Amusements of America and $50 a week for independent contractors.
Fund-raising and corporate donations help pay for many of the school's supplies. The remaining expenses are covered by Amusements of America.
``It's hard for a school like this to be self-supported,'' said Potenzone.
The school is now looking for a corporate sponsor or donor to supply a computer.
``If we don't get one soon we may just bite the bullet and get one ourselves,'' said Yedinak.
Despite the hurdles, Yedinak is optimistic about the future.
``Things are going very well so far,'' he said. ``Actually, things are fantastic.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MORT FRYMAN photos, The Virginian-Pilot
Teacher Pete E. Yedinak explains a point as, from left, Carrie
Friar, Whitney Clive, Brent Savage and Corey Friar examine plants
the class is growing. The children's parents are carnival workers,
and their classroom is in a revamped two-room trailer.
Pete E. Yedinak instructs members of his class in the confined space
of the classroom. ``I'm teaching the children to add using the M&Ms.
When they get their equation right, they get to eat the project,''
he said. Yedinak's 10 students range from kindergarten to fourth
grade and are instructed in reading comprehension, math, science,
art and other subjects.
by CNB