THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511050058
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 191 lines
Chris Meissel had heard about the drugs and violence when he arrived in 1991 at the Diggs Town public housing neighborhood to teach at a promising new preschool. But the reality didn't sink in until he heard it from a 4-year-old girl.
Her mother, the girl told Meissel, had instructed her to ``hit the deck'' whenever she heard ``pops'' - the bullet sounds of a gun.
``It really hit me,'' Meissel recalled. ``I realized then that so many of these kids face so many obstacles.''
The girl's chilling words stuck. They keep him focused, and determined to level the playing field for the youngsters who begin life with the odds stacked against them.
``They come to school here each day knowing it's safe and secure, and that it'll be positive and rewarding,'' said Meissel, 27, who this year is teaching an experimental all-boys class of 4-year-olds at the Berkley/Campostella Early Childhood Education Center.
About 200 3- and 4-year-olds attend classes there.
``Their personalities are forming at this age - who they are and who they're going to be - so it's critical for us to try to steer them in the right direction,'' he said. ``Boys, especially African-American boys, have it really rough out there, and they need role models. That's one of the reasons I got into this. I wanted to be a role model.''
Across the region last week, in forums sponsored by the Community Networking Association, citizens discussed ways to overcome the economic and social barriers that are preventing a growing number of children from achieving in school.
Many agreed that more money - certainly not less - should be targeted to programs to assist kids in low-income neighborhoods, and they stressed the importance of community self-help, a key element of the Berkley-Campostella center.
``If we're going to make a difference in the lives of these young children, we're going to have to impact the entire family,'' Principal Cheryl C. Bunch said. ``We want our parents to experience success. Many of them have a negative image of schools from their own bad experiences when they were younger.''
In four years, the center has become a nerve center of the Diggs Town community, sponsoring parenting workshops, adult education classes and other family activities. The building, a former elementary school, also houses social services and other public agencies.
``It means a great deal to us, because we don't have to go far for a lot of things,'' said parent Tammy Freeman, who is a five-minute walk away and once worked at the building's nursery.
The center, part of the city public school system, was the first of its kind in Virginia when it opened. It served as a model for the General Assembly last year when it appropriated $10.2 million for local school districts to set up pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds at risk of later failing or dropping out. Norfolk received $1.1 million, the most in the region.
In Norfolk, preliminary results of a study that tracked 28 former Berkley-Campostella students who are now third-graders at Campostella Elementary showed that they scored higher on standardized tests than kids who didn't attend preschool.
``I see great promise; the earlier you begin, the better,'' said Aaron Gay, director of research, testing and statistics for Norfolk schools.
In keeping with a philosophy of community outreach, Meissel has been instrumental in getting parents, especially fathers, involved with the center and their children's education. On a day last week, two fathers showed up to lend a hand.
Two years ago, he helped organize Men on the Move, a support group for men in the community. This year, he formed Young Men on the Move for the boys in his class.
``We wanted to show the boys that men can be kind, caring and compassionate,'' Meissel said. ``Many of these boys don't have a father in the household.''
One day a week, he holds a ``Boys to Men Day'' to teach the boys what he calls ``old-fashioned values,'' such as holding doors for girls, saying ``please'' and ``thank you'' and putting their hands over their mouths when they sneeze.
On the twice-a-week ``Business Day,'' the boys are expected to wear white shirts, blue pants and ties.
James Dillard, who has a son in Meissel's class and is a regular volunteer, said he likes the emphasis placed on values.
``A lot of people say that's old-school training, but we need to get back to the basics for respecting people for who they are, and not for what they have,'' Dillard said.
Students with good behavior score ``touchdowns'' on a wall board he designed. Their names are placed on ``footballs,'' which are advanced down the field during the day. It's a small gesture that pays big dividends, Meissel said.
He recalls a mother telling him that her kindergarten teacher punished her once for misbehaving by pinning a ``sad face'' on her clothes.
``She said that's the only thing she remembered about kindergarten,'' Meissel said. ``We have a lasting impression on them, and I want them to leave each day with something positive. I think it's neat that they end up with a touchdown.''
NORFOLK - Chris Meissel had heard about the drugs and violence when he arrived in 1991 at the Diggs Town public housing neighborhood to teach at a promising new preschool. But the reality didn't sink in until he heard it from a 4-year-old girl.
Her mother, the girl told Meissel, had instructed her to ``hit the deck'' whenever she heard ``pops'' - the bullet sounds of a gun.
``It really hit me,'' Meissel recalled. ``I realized then that so many of these kids face so many obstacles.''
The girl's chilling words stuck. They keep him focused, and determined to level the playing field for the youngsters who begin life with the odds stacked against them.
``They come to school here each day knowing it's safe and secure, and that it'll be positive and rewarding,'' said Meissel, 27, who this year is teaching an experimental all-boys class of 4-year-olds at the Berkley/Campostella Early Childhood Education Center.
About 200 3- and 4-year-olds attend classes there.
``Their personalities are forming at this age - who they are and who they're going to be - so it's critical for us to try to steer them in the right direction,'' he said. ``Boys, especially African-American boys, have it really rough out there, and they need role models. That's one of the reasons I got into this. I wanted to be a role model.''
Across the region last week, in forums sponsored by the Community Networking Association, citizens discussed ways to overcome the economic and social barriers that are preventing a growing number of children from achieving in school.
Many agreed that more money - certainly not less - should be targeted to programs to assist kids in low-income neighborhoods, and they stressed the importance of community self-help, a key element of the Berkley-Campostella center.
``If we're going to make a difference in the lives of these young children, we're going to have to impact the entire family,'' Principal Cheryl C. Bunch said. ``We want our parents to experience success. Many of them have a negative image of schools from their own bad experiences when they were younger.''
In four years, the center has become a nerve center of the Diggs Town community, sponsoring parenting workshops, adult education classes and other family activities. The building, a former elementary school, also houses social services and other public agencies.
``It means a great deal to us, because we don't have to go far for a lot of things,'' said parent Tammy Freeman, who once worked at the building's nursery.
The center, part of the city public school system, was the first of its kind in Virginia when it opened. It served as a model for the General Assembly last year when it appropriated $10.2 million for local school districts to set up pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds at risk of later failing or dropping out. Norfolk received $1.1 million, the most in the region.
In Norfolk, preliminary results of a study that tracked 28 former Berkley-Campostella students who are now third-graders at Campostella Elementary showed that they scored higher on standardized tests than kids who didn't attend preschool.
``I see great promise; the earlier you begin, the better,'' said Aaron Gay, director of research, testing and statistics for Norfolk schools.
In keeping with a philosophy of community outreach, Meissel has been instrumental in getting parents, especially fathers, involved with the center and their children's education. On a day last week, two fathers showed up to lend a hand.
Two years ago, he helped organize Men on the Move, a support group for men in the community. This year, he formed Young Men on the Move for the boys in his class.
``We wanted to show the boys that men can be kind, caring and compassionate,'' Meissel said. ``Many of these boys don't have a father in the household.''
One day a week, he holds a ``Boys to Men Day'' to teach the boys what he calls ``old-fashioned values,'' such as holding doors for girls, saying ``please'' and ``thank you'' and putting their hands over their mouths when they sneeze. On the twice-a-week ``Business Day,'' the boys are expected to wear white shirts, blue pants and ties.
James Dillard, who has a son in Meissel's class and is a regular volunteer, said he likes the emphasis placed on values.
``A lot of people say that's old-school training, but we need to get back to the basics for respecting people for who they are, and not for what they have,'' Dillard said.
Students with good behavior score ``touchdowns'' on a wall board he designed. Their names are placed on ``footballs,'' which are advanced down the field during the day. It's a small gesture that pays big dividends, Meissel said.
He recalls a mother telling him that her kindergarten teacher punished her once for misbehaving by pinning a ``sad face'' on her clothes.
``She said that's the only thing she remembered about kindergarten,'' Meissel said. ``We have a lasting impression on them, and I want them to leave each day with something positive. I think it's neat that they end up with a touchdown.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
Twice a week, on ``Business Day,'' Chris Meissel's students are
expected to wear white shirts, blue pants and ties.
Meissel, 27, is teaching an experimental all-boys class of
4-year-olds this year. Each day, he strives to be what many of his
young students need most: a role model. ``They come to school here
each day knowing . . . that it'll be positive and rewarding.''
by CNB