THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605170241
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
It was just after 2 o'clock on a recent Thursday when the students in Susan Crockin's class got word that their ``celebrity'' guests had arrived.
``I think I see her,'' one student said of his visitor, sitting at the edge of his chair and peeking out the window of Room 12.
``Mine's going to be the smallest person here,'' another said, bragging about his special guest.
Crockin's students were one of five second-grade classes at Arrowhead Elementary School who gave their moms star treatment when they hosted a Mother's Day Tea.
``We've been working on this forever,'' Crockin said of the students' preparation, which entailed reading and writing poetry and learning about manners and proper etiquette at social functions.
``It was important for the children to do these things for their moms, without the distractions of tee ball, soccer and everything else,'' Crockin said of the tea party. ``We wanted it to be the child and his or her mother.''
Her students' desks were arranged in a rectangle, with chairs on the inside reserved for moms. Colored tissue paper corsages made in art class, along with homemade place mats decorated with Mother's Day greetings, covered the desk tops. A flower-topped buffet table sat in the center.
After dishing out hugs and kisses, the guests settled in and listened to the 20 youngsters recite poetry about mothers by Aileen Fisher, Kate Cox Goddard and Judith Viorst.
Then, from their desks, each child read his or her own original ``mom poem'' aloud.
Some induced tears, others laughter, but they all were honest. Eight-year-old Ronnie Long's read: ``Mother you're the best thing that happened to me even though you make me mad, sometimes you make me sad, and you drive me crazy. I still love you mom. You're the best thing that happened to me in my whole life.''
Wiping her eyes, Crockin said, ``They're not even my kids, and I'm crying.''
The students got to practice what they had learned about manners, as well. During snack time, they served their mothers homemade brownies, cookies, muffins and punch before serving themselves.
``She was very polite,'' Susan Hoyt said of her 7-year-old, Samantha Hoyt. ``She was great.
``Now if we could just get it home, we'd be all set!''
Crockin is sure that at least one student brought the months of practice, reading of etiquette books and role-playing home. She showed off a typed letter she received from a parent.
A proud mother wrote in, praising her son's manners during a family trip to the Olive Garden. It read: ``He did not put his elbows on the table, he said yes please, yes ma'am and `thank you' to the waitress. He sat up straight at the table. He put his napkin in his lap without being told, and used it to wipe his hands - instead of using his shirt!''
It ended: ``We wanted you to know that your hard efforts are not going unnoticed or unpracticed.''
Crockin said, ``This makes it nice when you know that it's working.''
The moms packed up their kids and goodies, and each took home some keepsakes. Among the souvenirs for every guest were a bound collection of the students' poetry, a Polaroid snapshot of mother and child and a decorative paper tea cup and tea bag.
At least one mother cheered Crockin's announcement that she planned to do the tea again. ``I think it's a wonderful thing,'' said Stacie Rose, who took off from work to attend. ``I broke my neck trying to get here.
``It was definitely worth it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by HOLLY WESTER
Ronnie Long, 8, shows his poem to his mom, Stacie Rose, during
Arrowhead Elementary School's Mother's Day Tea.
by CNB