DATE: Wednesday, September 3, 1997          TAG: 9709030486

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SERIES: Back to School 

                                            LENGTH:   76 lines

BACK - TO - SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Down to business

By 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, kindergartner Tyler Jeffrey had a sore right arm, had become well acquainted with Taylor Elementary's office staff, and his mom, Shelia Jeffrey, looked disgusted.

And he hadn't even been in a fight.

Mom and Tyler arrived at school three hours earlier to register for classes and learned he couldn't get in - he needed one more immunization shot.

While classes started, Tyler and his mom dashed to an urgent care center for the shot and returned to Taylor. By 10:45, Tyler had the name of his teacher, mom was ready to head for work, but the 5-year-old was ready for recess.

``Moooommm,'' Tyler pleaded, ``I want to go outside.''

``No. This isn't playworld anymore,'' Jeffrey said, her tone a bit whimsical.

``This is school.''

- Denise Watson

Quietly meeting the needs

Most of the fourth-graders arrived early Tuesday at Erdie M. Hutchings' class at Kilby Shores Elementary School in Suffolk, bent beneath the weight of new backpacks stuffed to nearly bursting with shiny binders, fresh paper, clean notebooks, rulers, erasers and boxes of new pens and pencils.

One latecomer, however, arrived carrying nothing.

It's a reality faced by teachers everywhere. Because of economic circumstances or the negligence of parents, students show up at school without the necessary tools for learning, or even lunch money.

Hutchings knew this, and was prepared. She had filled a drawer in her desk with extra paper, pencils and other supplies, to slip to the children needing them without making an embarassing scene.

``You have to be discreet,'' Hutchings said.

- Matthew Bowers

A helping hand . . .

At Christopher Farms Elementary School in Virginia Beach, the first day of school for students was also the first day of school in the brand new building.

As one obviously bewildered kindergartner stepped off a day care van, she wore the expression of someone who knew she had someplace important to go but wasn't quite sure where that was.

School board member H.L. ``Les'' Powell stepped forward to offer his assistance, and the two entered the building hand-in-hand to find her classroom.

- Aleta Payne

He's ready, Mom's not

Chrissy Cox wondered if she and her son, Cody, 5, were at the right bus stop. It was 7:25 a.m. and buses were passing them by.

Still, Cox was in no hurry to put Cody on that bus for his first day of kindergarten at Greenbrier Primary School in Chesapeake.

``To him, it's just another grade. To me, it's more. He's actually going to school-school,'' said Cox.

Cox was tempted to drive Cody to school but thought it best that he get used to bus routine from Day One. Everything would be fine. His backpack was stuffed with everything he needed for school and his swimming class afterward.

Just in case, though, Cox had taken the day off from work so she could get to the school right away if he needed her.

When the bus came, Cody got on confidently as the bus driver said, ``Hey, buddy, what's your name?'' He sat near the front, straining to see over a seat to take in the view in front of him.

Cox watched the bus doors close and let out a little groan.

``That means he's all grown up,'' she said. ``Next thing you know, he'll be in high school.''

- Nancy Young KEYWORDS: BACK TO SCHOOL

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