DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997              TAG: 9703270458

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY KENNAN NEWBOLD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   53 lines

150 THANK WALKER AND HEILIG FOR HELPING NORFOLK SCHOOL $100,000 FROM VIRGINIA AIDS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AT NORTHSIDE MIDDLE.

Sean Harris didn't know who Sen. Stanley C. Walker was until The Gift.

But since Walker, a 6th District Democrat, secured $100,000 from the General Assembly for an environmental education program at Harris' school, he has decided Walker is cool.

``He must be a good guy to get us all this money,'' said Harris, an eighth-grader at Northside Middle School who showed up at a reception Wednesday night to thank Walker and Del. George Heilig for pushing to include the grant in the state budget.

``We asked for a little bit more but still were pleasantly surprised,'' said Northside Principal Timothy Sweeney. ``I can't thank them enough.''

About 150 students, teachers, parents and faculty gathered in the school's cafeteria Wednesday to show their appreciation. And everyone was smiling.

``When you look at the budget, this isn't a great deal of money,'' said Walker. ``It's just a beginning. I'm really sold on what they're doing.''

The money will fund the school's Success Through Synergy program, which began at Northside last year to study the plight of the Chesapeake Bay. The school discovered that the Bay needs its help.

Now every student at Northside is involved in the program. Some do water chemistry testing; some take pictures of the Bay; and soon they will begin planting an environmentally safe garden.

The school has already bought a canoe to regularly test the Bay's water, and the students have plans to raise their own oysters. Using the technology the school plans to buy, the students also will be expected to publish their research regularly, post their findings on the Internet and give presentations to interested civic leagues.

``When we finish all this, there are going to be other schools who want this research, because it doesn't exist anywhere else,'' said Assistant Principal Syble Stone. ``We're hoping the end result will produce good citizens who are advocates for the Bay.''

Eighth-grader Calvin Smith has participated in the program since it started. ``This money is going to help those coming up in this school,'' Smith said. ``We all really support the efforts they have made.''

In a speech Wednesday night, Heilig expressed faith in the program and his desire to increase the appropriation next year. He got a standing ovation.

``I was very impressed by the program they have,'' Walker said. ``It seems there is a certain need, and I'd like to see it explored some. Perhaps it could develop into something that other schools will be interested in, and maybe out of this will come another type of governor's school.''

Stone shares Walker's vision for the school and the program.

``We would like to eventually become a magnet school for environmental issues,'' Stone said.

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