THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 8, 1994 TAG: 9409080530
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
After an extra day of summer vacation, thousands of students in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Chesapeake began their annual back-to-school ritual Wednesday with barely a glitch.
But some Portsmouth educators were, well, all dressed up with few kids to teach.
Fewer than a third of Portsmouth students targeted for the district's new alternative education program arrived Wednesday, said Darnell Johnson, an administrator who oversees the district's contract with the privately managed Richard M. Milburn High School. Milburn serves troubled students at risk of failing or dropping out.
Of 100 students identified for the program, about 30 showed up on Day One. Johnson said some students apparently just gave themselves the day off. Others went to the wrong schools, he said, because they changed residences without alerting school officials - and thus didn't receive letters about the Milburn arrangement.
In Norfolk, the first day seemed almost routine, said schools spokesman George Raiss.
``Good first day,'' Raiss said. ``It seemed like things had been up and running for a few weeks already.''
An anticipated problem of sixth-graders showing up without their state-required measles booster shots did not materialize, Raiss said. Last year hundreds of youngsters missed the first day of classes.
Three weeks ago, Norfolk officials were worried that as many as 1,000 students had failed to show proof of the immunization. Raiss said public health nurses were stationed at each of the district's eight middle schools Wednesday to give shots to students who needed them.
At Norfolk's Roberts Park Elementary, officials from Price-Cosco, one of the school's four business partners, showed up with backpacks full of supplies for each of the 350 students.
``I've been in education a number of years, and this is something new to have businesses really being involved in education in their community,'' said Principal Mary C. Lumpkin.
Lumpkin said teachers and students were buoyed by the gesture. The PTA last year held yard sales to raise money to buy such supplies as crayons, pencils and erasers for students, she said.
Hundreds of Beach students made history on the first day of school. The spanking new Larkspur Middle School and Ocean Lakes High opened to students Wednesday. Administrators said opening day at both schools went smoothly.
``Other than the fact that students seemed a little lost, I couldn't have been more pleased,'' said Ocean Lakes Principal Jerry F. Deviney.
In Chesapeake, students at brand-new Oscar Smith High appeared properly impressed and excited by its state-of-the-art design and equipment. The main gripe: The cafeteria's french fries were undercooked. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PAUL AIKEN, Staff
Laquata Warren, a kindergartener at Roberts Park Elementary in
Norfolk, eagerly opens her Price-Cosco educational backpack.
Kristal Randolph, a senior at Maury High in Norfolk, laughs as she
receives a free limo ride, a dozen roses and a pizza for winning a
contest drawing earlier at a shopping center.
by CNB