DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997              TAG: 9703110138

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 10   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT

                                            LENGTH:   48 lines

TIDEWATER PARK PROGRAM AIMS TO GET DADS INVOLVED IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION

SOMETIMES, good things come in small packages. And sometimes, what starts out small can take root and grow into something big.

That is how principal Sylvia E. Spratley, at Tidewater Park Elementary School, views her school's ``Fathers Are Special People'' initiative, designed to include male family members in the education of their children. The program was launched at the end of February.

``We had maybe 12 turn out,'' said Spratley, ``but we are a small school, with 350 students.'' Those attending included two uncles.

``The program is open to fathers and other male role models,'' Spratley said. ``They were really interested in talking with us and asking questions.''

Spratley and instructional specialist Mona Gunn led the meeting, answering questions and suggesting additional adult-child activities.

``We gave them additional things they can do with their children,'' explained Spratley. ``We told them, `Read to your children at home and listen to the children when they read.' ''

Curtis Long, who started as a volunteer at Ruffner Middle School and is now employed there as a security guard, was the evening's guest speaker. Long, whose son, Travis Kemp, is a fourth-grader at Tidewater Park, shared ideas about how fathers and other male relatives can get involved with their children's education.

``Fathers,'' said Spratley, ``often don't have the opportunity to come into schools as mothers do. We want to encourage them to do what they can.''

One parent who came, said Spratley, is a musician who said he wanted to share what he does with the children. The offer fit in nicely with a career day Spratley is planning to hold at the school.

The small turnout didn't disappoint Spratley, who has one more meeting scheduled - a ``Gala Affair'' with a guest speaker, to be held sometime in April. In the meantime, she is talking up the program and hoping that those who came to the first meeting will come again.

``When you begin something, you don't get big crowds at first,'' she said. ``My goal is to spark interest, to cause fathers to take an interest in their children's education.''

One reason for Spratley's optimism is her experience at Coleman Place Elementary where, as assistant principal, she started a similar program last year.

With a student enrollment of 800, 50 fathers and other male relatives turned out for the first meeting. Attendance increased by 50 percent for the second meeting, which featured Norfolk Schools Superintendent Dr. Roy D. Nichols Jr. as guest speaker.

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