Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407150074
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
She's a quiet 11-year-old who will be in the seventh grade at Jackson Middle School in Roanoke this fall. Among the dozens of poems she has written is a moving tribute to her mother for providing comfort and support in bad times.
This summer, Atasha is writing her poems on a computer, and she's getting advice and writing tips from Marcy Trianosky, director of the Writing Center at Hollins College, who is teaching creative writing in an honors program at the Governor's School.
"I love it. My mom writes poems, and that is how I got started," said Atasha, who likes the poetry of Sylvia Plath.
For Atasha and many other bright students in the Roanoke Valley, summer is a time to learn, as well as take a vacation.
Several hundred children are enrolled in honor programs, magnet schools and enrichment classes for the gifted and talented in the valley's school systems. They like school so much that they are paying between $100 and $210 to attend the noncredit summer classes.
Atasha is in a program that is operated by Roanoke, but is open to surrounding localities. Students come from Salem, Roanoke County and private schools.
During a five-week period, students in grades six through nine can make an in-depth study of one of four fields: computer technology, criminal justice, drama or creative writing.
Roanoke offers a similar honors program for elementary students, with a choice of art, computers or science for in-depth study in grades three through five.
Louise Clarke, coordinator for the gifted and talented in Roanoke, said about 150 students are enrolled in the elementary and middle school programs.
"These are students who enjoy learning. They seem to like the nonthreatening environment, without grades or other pressures," Clarke said. She hires the teachers, designs the curriculum and oversees the programs.
"This environment helps the students understand that learning does not have to hurt," Clarke said.
The students in the criminal justice course have taken field trips to a courtroom, jail and related facilities. As part of their study, the students have discussed the O.J. Simpson case and the legal issues involved, said Robert Stewart, their teacher.
Keith Thompson, a sixth-grader at Addison Aerospace Middle School, is taking the criminal justice course. He found the trip to a courtroom to observe a trial to be the most interesting experience.
In the computer and robotics course, students learn about computer programs and how they can be used.
"It's interesting. There are some smart kids in there," said Mitch Triantafilles, a seventh-grader at James Madison Middle School.
The honors programs have helped change the image of summer school as mainly a remedial program for students who have failed classes.
The classes for middle-school students are being held at the Roanoke Valley's School for Science and Technology near Patrick Henry High.
The students spend 21/2 hours a day in their in-depth course and take a 30-minute break for lunch. They have a one-hour class in the afternoon and may choose from a variety of courses and activities such as computer games, woodcarving and nature trails.
School divisions continue to offer the remedial classes, but a growing number have expanded their offerings for the gifted and talented.
In Roanoke County, nearly 300 children have enrolled this summer in a variety of programs for gifted students, such as art, music, legal issues and oceanography. Students in the oceanography course will take a three-day trip to Chesapeake Bay.
One of the goals is to provide as many field trips and hands-on experiences as possible, said James Gallion, director of administration for county schools.
In Salem, 124 students have enrolled in computer camp. Some Salem students are enrolled in the honors programs in Roanoke.
Roanoke Valley students have another choice for advanced studies during the summer.
Roanoke's summer magnet schools are becoming increasingly popular as the program has extended to six weeks for the first time this summer. The magnet schools are built around themes such as aerospace, engineering, arts and technology. They were established with federal funds and are equipped with the latest in educational technology.
The six-week magnet program provides students with two choices: tech camp or art world. In tech camp, students spend one week each in six magnet schools featuring technology, satellite communications, simulated space missions, robotics and other technology. In art world, students can study drama, music and movement.
About 75 students are enrolled in tech camp for grades four through 10, and 35 are in art world for grades two through nine.
Diane Rose, summer coordinator for the magnet schools, said smaller classes enable the teachers to give more individual attention to students. The tech camp classes have a student-teacher ratio of about 12-to-1.
"We want to keep it small so there will be more interaction between the teachers and students," Rose said.
The summer magnet program helps students decide whether they want to attend the regular magnet program during the next school year.
In the art world program, the magnet students produce a play as part of their study and have a live production for their parents near the end of the course.
Like the honors program, there are no grades or credits in the summer magnet classes.
Apart from the honors programs and magnet schools, Roanoke Valley school systems offer courses for high school students who have failed one or more subjects.
In Roanoke, a growing number of high school students are using summer school to take new courses and get more credits.
The city has 623 high school students in summer school. Nearly 40 percent of them are taking new courses rather than repeating a failed course, said David Partington, directory of secondary and middle education for city schools..
"We are finding that more students want to take new courses," Partington said.
There is a similar trend in Roanoke County, where about one-third of the 442 students in summer high school are taking new courses.
Gallion said the summer school programs keep school officials busy arranging courses, putting the students in the right classes and scheduling bus routes.
"When people say we are not operating year-round, they don't know what we do in the summer," Gallion said.
by CNB