THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410070284
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
THE ``CELEBRITY'' DIDN'T arrive in a stretch limousine. She didn't sport fancy furs or blinding diamonds. Nor did she show up with an entourage.
Mayor Gloria O. Webb arrived at Churchland Primary Elementary on Monday doing nothing that really smacked of fame.
The students - three kindergartners and two first graders - awaited her in the library, where she immediately settled into a chair and prepared to read ``A Mother for Choco.''
``You're the celebrity reader?'' a first-grader asked.
``Yes,'' the mayor responded. ``Do you know my name?'' The boy shook his head, indicating that he didn't have a clue. Fame is obviously relative.
The stars have included teachers, professionals around town and even the big cheese himself, Superintendent Richard D. Trumble. This year, organizers hope to branch out by also relying on students to serve as celebrity readers.
The idea is to show students that reading is a cinch and that people from all walks of life can enjoy it, said Jennifer Goodman, a kindergarten teacher who's active in the school's Reading Literacy Program.
``Anything we can do to get students to pick up a book more often is a good thing,'' Goodman said.
Grown-up ``celebrities'' have been dropping by the school for the past several years, reading to small groups of students as others throughout the building watch and listen on a classroom television monitor.
The weekly sessions last from 10 to 15 minutes; and they've helped sharpen reading skills among Churchland Primary's kindergartners, Goodman said.
Such efforts might be increasingly put to use to get more city students interested in reading, a fundamental skill upon which almost all others are built.
About 1,800 students - roughly 10 percent of the district's total enrollment - have yet to pass the state-mandated Literacy Passport Test, Trumble told district principals and central office administrators Wednesday.
The administration, Trumble said, is still taking a hard look at streamlining or restructuring measures that would free up more money to be spent in the classroom.
In July, Trumble shared with the School Board his idea of hiring a private company, Sylvan Learning Center, to offer remedial help for students who read poorly. The company now works with inner-city students in Baltimore and Washington. The D.C. contract, worth $700,000 for this school year, covers about 600 students.
Meanwhile, Tuesday is the scheduled kick-off date for a pilot project aimed at giving needy students a double dose of basic reading, writing and math instruction by lengthening the school day by one hour, three days each week.
While officials sold many parents on that idea, others have raised questions about whether Portsmouth can afford Sylvan's services. In either case, school officials say something different needs to be done to catch those who continually fall behind, especially in key areas.
Back in the library, five-year-old LaPorche Richards seemed pretty pleased with Webb's presentation of ``A Mother for Choco.''
``It was a good story,'' she said, adding that it made her feel ``happy.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by Mark Mitchell
Alissa Emmerich gives Mayor Gloria O. Webb a hug after she read to
students./ by CNB