THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 18, 1996 TAG: 9610180518
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 57 lines
The seeds started with community meetings.
They blossomed with $43,000 from City Council.
Now, a community's dream to get an after-school tutorial program at John F. Kennedy Middle School is coming to fruition.
Today, city and school officials will have a celebration to get parents involved and stir kids' interest. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs and steamed crabs - all enticements to keep young minds motivated.
``We're going to have a big day of celebration,'' said Vice Mayor Charles F. Brown, who was instrumental in getting the program going.
``This gives people with no hope an opportunity to have dreams and visions to become what they can become,'' he said.
JFK Middle School Principal Thomas W. McLemore said he would like to see more community efforts like the tutorial.
``The kids seem to enjoy it a lot,'' said McLemore, who often peeks into the 10 classrooms where the sessions are held. ``It's building a stronger sense of community within our schools.''
The program started Oct. 2 and assists about 300 children from 12 middle and elementary schools around Suffolk. The kids attend two sessions per week, where they are assisted with homework and computer skills, as well as provided with snacks.
After the educational sessions, students can take part in a number of recreational activities, such as arts and crafts. The school stays open until 7 p.m., allowing working parents a place to leave their kids in a structured, supervised environment, Brown said.
The idea for an after-school tutorial program came about when many parents complained that there weren't enough activities for their kids. They said that some students had dropped out of school or gotten involved in crime. Parents also cited the inability to spend enough quality time with children because of working several jobs or being a single parent.
Last spring, Brown lobbied the council to provide $43,000 for the program, following numerous meetings he had around the community. City officials said the pilot program may be the first to be funded with city money.
The program will run until the second week in May, when officials will decide whether to provide more money for next year.
Educators say such a partnership is needed.
Mark A. Croston, chairman of the Suffolk School Board, said society has made it difficult for single and working parents to give their children adequate quality time. The extended family and neighbors don't help each other as much as they used to, Croston added.
``It ought to be a great opportunity,'' he said of the program. ``It will be a good opportunity for kids to have someone there helping them one on one.''
Milton R. Liverman, Suffolk's assistant superintendent for instruction and curriculum, said he hopes the city continues funding the effort. He said the program has been successful because the school isn't depending on volunteer tutors.
``It's starting to grow; we've got good staff,'' Liverman said. ``Over the long haul, you need some means to hold people accountable.'' by CNB