THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 7, 1995 TAG: 9504060155
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
At Newtown Road Elementary School it was a Monday morning like any other Monday morning in any other elementary school.
Chaotic.
The front office was jammed with visitors, late-comers, kids who forgot their lunch money, moms who arrived bearing lunch money, students with headaches and scrapes that required a look-see by the school nurse and the arrival of a hapless student or two, who, one hour into the school week, had already tried a teacher's patience to the breaking point.
In the midst of it all, principal Dr. Barbara K. Tourgee, parent liaison Patricia A.H. Williams and teacher Vanessa S. Richard were preparing to set off on a particularly important mission.
The delivery of one pink, medium-sized basket of goodies to a young lady named Keishia Williams.
At the age of 1 month, young Ms. Williams (no relation to the parent liaison), was to be the first participant in the school's new Rock-A-Bye Roadrunner program.
Rock-A-Bye Roadrunners are the newborn brothers and sisters of Newtown Road students.
Keishia qualified because her brother Dyshawn is a student in Richard's early childhood special-education class.
``We really wanted to reach out,'' the school's media liaison, T. Nelson-Williams (also no relation to Keishia) said.
``Dr. Tourgee posted a notice asking parents who were expecting to call the school. We got several responses, but this is the first basket we'll be delivering.''
When the official greeting party arrived at the Williamses' apartment a few minutes after 10, Keishia, bright-eyed and dressed to the nines, stared solemnly at them from her mother Erika's lap.
While Tourgee, Richard and Patricia Williams oohed and aahed over the baby, her 2-year-old sister, Te-aira, stood solemnly at her side.
Tourgee talked briefly with Erika Williams about the contents of the basket, which included a birth announcement, a small box of disposable diapers, skin-care products, an infant stimulation toy, a Newtown Road Roadrunners infant T-shirt and two very important extras: a cloth story book and the school's phone number.
``We want you to start reading to her right away,'' Tourgee said, ``because that's so important. And we want you to have the school's phone number handy so you'll know that we're always there when you need us.''
Then Keishia was passed from hand to hand for a few last minute hugs and coos before the visitors left to return to the controlled chaos of the school.
Rock-A-Bye Roadrunners is the most recent phase of a program developed with the help of a Virginia Department of Education grant to reach out to the youngest children in the Newtown Road community.
A preschool program called ``Pre-Road Runners'' already involves 15 3- and 4-year-olds and their parents in a Tuesday morning group.
The youngsters, who are involved for eight weeks at a time, get an introduction to music, art and computers, along with basic lessons in communications and social behavior. At the same time, the parents have a chance for discussions, lectures and a chance to do some socializing of their own.
Newtown Road teachers conduct both the adult and child groups with the aid of student volunteers from Virginia Wesleyan College. ILLUSTRATION: Newtown Elementary teacher Vanessa Richard brings the welcome
basket, which includes a cloth story book and the school phone
number.
Patricia Williams, Newtown Road Elementary's parent liaison, holds
month-old Keishia Williams while the baby's mother, Erika Williams,
looks on with the school's welcome basket of goodies. At rear is
principal Barbara Tourgee.
Staff photos by
MORT FRYMAN
by CNB