THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701220104
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 61 lines
The lights at S.H. Clarke Academy were burning brightly late into the evening on Jan. 16, as some 275 students, faculty members, parents and guests gathered for Family Reading Night.
At the school, on Turnpike Road, participants listened to a variety of speakers, had a spaghetti dinner, and broke up into reading groups for the children and a workshop for adults.
``It's wonderful,'' said reading resource teacher Mozelle Parker as she surveyed those who were lining up for dinner. ``This is what we dreamed of when we planned it.''
``It's phenomenal,'' echoed reading resource teacher Alice Hall. ``Not only are we celebrating reading, but writing, too.''
Dr. Carmelita K. Williams, director of the Reading Partners Clinic at Norfolk State University, was the main speaker at a ceremony before the dinner.
After dinner, the students divided into reading groups led by Hall and fellow teachers Simonetta Wright, Laurel Armstrong and Barbara Elliott. The adults remained in the cafeteria for a workshop on ``building lasting relationships with your children,'' conducted by Pastor Curtis Edmonds of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, one of the school's educational partners.
``This is the first time we've done it this way,'' Parker said. ``Last year we had the format of a PTA meeting.''
This year, the event was more like a big block party.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Doug Williams, from the destroyer Thorn, attended the reading night. The Thorn is linked to the school through the Navy's ``Adopt-a-School'' program.
Last year was the first year for a reading program at the school, which opened in September 1995, Hall said.
The building formerly housed a vocational-technical education center and, before that, a middle school. Now the academy includes students in pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade.
The event included competitions, complete with prizes: Parker sought out parent Jackie Morris in the cafeteria line to tell her she had won a prize for being the first person through the door at the start of the evening.
Karen Duncan's first-grade class won first prize for having the most parents or guardians present. The rewards included a gift certificate, donated by Barnes and Noble at Greenbrier, for Duncan; a bear for each student; and a bigger bear for the classroom.
June Jones' second-grade and Barbara Elliott's fifth-grade classes tied for second.
The bears given to the prize-winning students represent the theme - BEAR (Become Energized and Read/Write) - for the school's monthlong reading event.
Other reading and writing activities are taking place at the school throughout January, including celebration of Universal Letter Writing Week, International Printing Week, Pen Pal Week and Thank You Day.
``I'm pleased,'' Principal Daisy Murphy said. ``It's tremendous. The parents were very supportive, and I'm grateful.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
DAWSON MILLS
Simonetta Wright, a science teacher at S.H. Clarke Academy, reads to
a group of students during the school's Family Reading Night, held
Jan. 16.