THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 22, 1996 TAG: 9601220041
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN JOLLY DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BOBTOWN LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
Five-year-old Charles Harmon, a blur of ceaseless motion, wiggles around in the cinderblock hallway. He says he'd rather be in school than at home.
``It's fun,'' insists Charles. Schoolmates, one after another, echo his feelings.
The attendance rate at South Accomack Elementary School is among the highest in Virginia. Staffers say they don't have any special programs to reduce absenteeism. They just focus on making the school a safe place where children know they will be warm, fed, taught and surrounded by nurturing adults.
``I really believe that the children in this school know that the adults here care about them,'' said principal Margaret Miles. ``This school is the best place that so many of these children can be.''
The Virginia Commission on Youth is asking the General Assembly to budget $9.8 million for a two-year program to reduce truancy. Studies show that truancy is one characteristic that most juvenile offenders have in common, the commission reported.
Fifty-three percent of juveniles appearing in court in Virginia are truants, the studies show. In a profile of juveniles who are convicted as adults in Virginia, nearly all have histories of truancy.
Only five of Virginia's 1,687 schools could boast that none of their pupils had missed more than 10 days in the 1993-94 school year - the most recent year for which figures are available.
Four of those were elementary schools in Northern Virginia's affluent Fairfax County. The fifth was South Accomack Elementary, a rural school where 65 percent of the 811 pupils are African Americans, and 69 percent receive free or reduced-price lunches.
``I'm not surprised that South Accomack does so well,'' said William Owings, superintendent of the county's schools. ``Even the custodians and cafeteria ladies are friendly. And that means a lot to children.''
Miles and Terry Bailey, the assistant principal, keep close watch over their pupils. If one misses school frequently, they visit the child's home.
Studies show that parental involvement is vital in keeping children, particularly at the elementary levels, in school. Miles said her teachers are in constant contact with parents. South Accomack even organizes workshops for parents of their youngest pupils to help them feel more comfortable about the school.
``When the parents feel good about school, the child has a more positive attitude as well,'' said Miles. Countywide policies require Miles to send letters to parents if their children are absent frequently. If a student misses as many as 25 days, he can fail the school year.
The threat of failure works well with parents, said Miles. They don't want their children held back.
Poverty and truancy are often related, Miles said, and Accomack County has plenty of poor families. The two hot meals her pupils are served each day are frequently the only meals that some of the children get, she said. But, she pointed out, poverty also can be a positive motivation for parents to keep their children in school.
``I find the parents who are experiencing the most difficulty, financially, are the ones most determined for their children to do better,'' said Miles.
And some of the students get themselves to school without a lot of help from their parents.
Phillys Austin, 10, likes going to school. She wakes before dawn to help dress her sister, prepare breakfast, get her hair done and ``send Mom off to work.'' Like so many of her schoolmates, she'd rather go to school than stay home.
``The teachers, they're nice, and they don't holler at you too much,'' said Phillys.
Fighting isn't tolerated in South Accomack, said Miles, and students are not allowed to tease each other over status items, such as clothes.
``We don't only deal with a fight,'' said Miles. ``We deal with life.''
So that's South Accomack's secret to keeping children in school. Involve parents. Keep the children safe, warm, fed and interested. Surround them with caring adults.
``We don't have any programs in place to help attendance,'' said Superintendent Owings about the success at South Accomack. ``Just a lot of good people.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
Constant nurturing keeps children in school
BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
Brian Fitchett's eyes reflect the 10-year-old's confidence during
Sharon Askew's math class.
Outside of class, physical education teacher Kevin Haxter makes time
to slap five with a student heading home.
BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
Science teacher Ruth Downing, above, works with Lyndsay Chandler
during the youngster's science class. Phillys Austin gets up before
dawn to ``send mom off to work'' and to get herself and her sister
off to school. ``The teachers, they're nice, and they don't holler
at you too much,'' Phillys says. Phillys isn't an attendance problem
and those who are get a visit from a principal.
by CNB