THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995 TAG: 9507260129
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
If you ask most kids, summer is a time for fun, not school.
But for 100 Suffolk middle school students, the new SPOR-AC program, which stands for sports and academics, has been a way to tackle routine academics in a fun way.
SPOR-AC, a $25,000 city program, began July 10 and concludes today with a 2:30 p.m. closing ceremony at Nansemond River High School. The kids are mostly fifth-graders from John F. Kennedy, John Yates and Forest Glen middle schools.
Sponsored by City Councilman Charles Brown, SPOR-AC teaches students basic math and reading for a half-day. The rest of the day, they are taught team work and responsibility through various sports events.
SPOR-AC is the first program of its kind, Brown says. He got the idea to start the program after hosting a town meeting with kids earlier this year. They said there weren't enough recreational activities as well as academic enrichment in Suffolk, Brown says.
Community and school leaders worked with an independent consultant to determine areas the kids would work on. If the program is successful this year, they will fund a larger effort next year, Brown says.
It's the team work that program sponsors say is crucial for middle school children. Arnice Monroe, a drug facilitator with the Suffolk public school system, says statistics show that middle school-aged children have problems handling conflict. Through team work, conflicts are resolved through decision making, she says.
``This program is aimed at empowering these middle school kids to develop as young adults and handle conflict,'' Monroe says. ``All of these skills will help them become better adults.''
The students recently took a trip to Wakefield, where they engaged in a number of team activities, such as climbing fences, working their way through mesh obstacles called spider webs, and climbing trees with ropes.
``It's almost like being in the military where you all have to learn to gel together,'' Brown says with a laugh.
Yet the kids find the teamwork fun.
``We do sports so the work doesn't seem as hard,'' says Megan Liles, 12, a John F. Kennedy student.
For Travis Jennings, 16, a Nansemond River High student, the work was challenging.
``Some of it is difficult because it's tricky,'' says Jennings, describing how teams had to negotiate traveling across an imaginary quicksand pit.
The challenges, says SPOR-AC Executive Director Cameron Gamble, is what helps the students develop.
``Before they came into the program, a lot of them had negative attitudes,'' said Gamble, a teacher at Forest Glen, ``Their attitude has changed. They're more positive.'' ILLUSTRATION: SPOR-AC participants enjoy a game of volleyball in the gym.
Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Arnice Monroe talks to children in the SPOR-AC program about drugs.
by CNB