The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995                    TAG: 9505050234
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS      PAGE: 11   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Cover Story 
SOURCE: BY JANIE BRYANT, STAFF REPORT 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   50 lines

COVER STORY: BANQUET TO CELEBRATE REOPENING OF SCHOOL

The ``Back to the Future'' banquet, to recognize reopening the school as S.H. Clarke Community Academy, is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday in the Norcom High School cafeteria.

Already the Norcom Alumni Association has contributed $100 to the Clarke school, and Clarke and Norcom alumni are among those who have made reservations for the banquet.

Daisy Murphy, who will be Clarke's principal, hopes the banquet will help to attract donations as well as build a volunteer base of mentors, tutors and other school supporters.

Besides Murphy, two Clarke alumni will be keynote speakers:

Haywood G. Stowe Jr., the school system's assistant manager for personnel.

Deborah M. McGriff, a former general superintendent of Detroit Public Schools. McGriff, who grew up in Portsmouth's Ida Barbour public housing community, is senior vice president of The Edison Project, a for-profit venture that aims to manage public schools.

Others on the program include Mayor Gloria O. Webb; Olivia T. Hinton, retired director of secondary education; School Superintendent Richard D. Trumble; the Rev. Milton Blount of Mount Olivet Baptist Church; Circuit Court Judge Johnny E. Morrison; and the Tidewater Area Musicians Orchestra.

Tribute will be paid to the school's first and longtime principal, the late Vernon Orton, as well as the late S.H. Clarke.

Students will model the school's new uniforms - a plaid jumper for girls and shirts and ties for boys. The school's T-shirt will be modeled by Lamarr Brown, the third-grader who suggested All-Star Learners as the name for the school mascot symbol - a rising star.

Murphy sent out about 300 letters inviting alumni, retired educators and ministers to the event. MEMO: A ``Back to the Future'' banquet in support of the new community school

at the S.H. Clarke building will be held Friday at I.C. Norcom High

School cafeteria. The cost is $20. For more information, call 393-8535.

Tickets must be obtained by Tuesday. I.C. Norcom High School is at 2900

Turnpike Road.

[For a related story, see page 10 of The Currents for this date.]

by CNB