THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 8, 1995 TAG: 9506060069
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
TAYLOR ELEMENTARY School has been a part of Mella Goldman's life for many years.
Three generations of both her family and her husband's family have attended the West Ghent school. Her daughter, Mason, is a fourth-grader there now.
So it is with a special affinity for the school that Goldman has served as president of its Parent Teacher Association for the past year.
For her efforts on behalf of Taylor and the community, Goldman recently was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Tidewater District PTA. She also was made a life member of the United Congress of Parents and Teachers.
During her term, Goldman worked closely with the city Health Department to get a full-time nurse in the school. She has worked on getting approval for a new addition to the school, including a new cafeteria and media center. And she has worked to put in a new computer lab.
This year, under her tutelage, the school opened a Kid's Bank in association with Crestar Bank.
Many of her ideas for Taylor, she said, come from successful programs other PTAs have started, such as the Kid's Bank.
``I learn so much from looking at their successes,'' she said. ``And I love to share our successes as well.''
She also gives a lot of credit to the PTA's executive board for those successes.
``These people make me look great,'' she said. ``It's really a team effort.''
One of her personal goals, she said, was to increase faculty and staff involvement in the PTA.
``Ideally,'' she said, ``there should be an equal partnership between the parents and teachers.''
Did she reach that goal?
``Most definitely,'' she said. ``We have had a teacher serve as part of every committee.''
Another goal, which she also is seeing come to fruition, is a developing partnership between the Norfolk Public Library system and the Norfolk schools.
Since many families that have been with Taylor for several years are seeing their youngest children head off to middle school, Goldman also has worked hard to get greater involvement in the PTA from new Taylor families.
``We're losing a lot of expertise,'' she said. ``But I feel that I've done a really good job of getting new people involved.''
Her daughter, Mason, has one more year at Taylor before she, too, heads to Blair Middle School. And Goldman said she's sure she will become involved with the PTA there.
One reason is that Mason ``is real excited and always pleased to have me around,'' said Goldman. But she said she is so committed to the goals of the PTA, ``I'll probably be active till the day I die. I truly believe in the work they do.''
But she's not sure that others really understand what the PTA is.
``It's the largest advocacy group for children in the world,'' she said.
If anyone should know about that, it's Goldman. Not only is she a parent, she also is a former teacher. She taught kindergarten for five years at the former Pine Ridge Elementary School.
For the past 20 years, she has done the bookkeeping for the family-owned business, Optecon Optical Company, and she and her husband recently built a house within walking distance of the school.
In addition to her efforts on behalf of Taylor, Goldman is also active with the Presbyterian Women's Group at First Presbyterian Church and the Azalea Circle of the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. She has worked on the Holly Festival for many years and was instrumental in developing the Gingerbread Village.
Next year, she'll serve as an adviser to the new PTA president.
``I'm involved and always will be involved. Having been a teacher and now a parent, community between home and school is a must for success. The PTA allows a beautiful channel for that.
``That's the teacher in me - willing to be there for the good of the child.'' MEMO: If you know someone whom you feel is deserving of a Thumbs Up! feature,
call Vicki Lewis at 446-2286.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by BETH BERGMAN
Mella Goldman has been honored by the Tidewater District PTA for her
efforts on behalf of Taylor Elementary.
by CNB