COMMUNITY
J ...
Newell Has Plan to
Help Youth in School
By VERONICA CLEMONS
Chronicle Siaff Writer
Former Winston Salem Alder
woman Virginia Newell said there
are several reasons why African
American children are not success
ful as they should be in the school
system, but the foundation to cor
recting those problems begins with
the family.
Because she thinks family time
is so important, Newell wants to
start a program that would dedicate
about two hours a week for family
time. She said she would like' to start
the program- in a community where
she knows many of the people, such
as , Happy Hill Gardens. In addition
to spending quality time together,
the purpose of family time will be to
discuss important issues, such as
behavior in various situations and
settings, what to do when looking
f~for a job and why it's important to
go to the library. Newell said
lifestyles have changed so touch that
^families do not take the time to sit
with one another and discuss impor
tant matters.
Behavior in school is definitely
something that needs to be dis
cussed at home, she said. Newell
"Tecatts^growing up in a family
Vhere everyone sat down at the
tab*le for dinner, where a discussion
. of the day and school was discussed.
Newell said mothers have an impor
tant role in governing their children
on how to behave in a classroom
setting.
_lAJot-of the times-a-mother-is~
there but she doesn't rea-Hze she
must corral those people around
her," said Newell, the former Math
ematics Department chairperson at
Winston-Salem State University. "A
mother or someone should talk
about how we should act."
Newell, who in 1991 started the
Math and Science Academy of
Excellence ? a program that works
with middle-school students to
i mprove their performan c_e levels
during the summer v ? said she is a
J_ strict disciplinarian In her class-she
requires students to sit up straight,
speak correctly and complete the
work she assigns.
"Words like 'yep' are not
acceptable in my class because that
is not fiifvv T communicate," ^he
said.
Children must also tie tauglirar
home to respect teachers, Newell
said. But teachers must also present
an authoritative role to be respected.
. Newell and teachers for the
Math and Science Academy, which
is ending a session this week, held a
parent/teacher conference to allow
teachers to tell what has been going
on in their classes and parents to
make comments and ask questions.
Parents agreed'that their chil
dren were learning a lot in the acad
emy this summer and were enjoying
being in the academic setting during
summer vacation from regular
school.
Mavis Lloyd, who has two
daughters in the Academy, said she
was appreciative of the enthusiasm
her daughters have expressed in
math since being involved in the
program.
"To hear my daughters say,
'Mom, I like algebra' I could have
paid the fee 10 times over," she said.
Newell said she insisted on par
ents coming to speak with the teach
ers because it's important for parents
to know what their children are
doing in school. Progress tests for
Forsyth County schools show not
even 50 percent of African- Ameri
can children in the third, sixth and
eighth grades are performing at lev
els in math and English sufficient
enough for the next level. In those
same grades, more than 70 percent
of the white students are performing
at necessary levels or higher when
time to enter the next grade.
Newell added that part of help
ing children at home is making them
complete homework assignments.
"Our students spend too much
time on recreation and not enough
time for serious 'matters they have to
face daily," she said. < ,
A lot of teaching can be done at
hortie to reinforce what's being done
J
at school. Newell said. Also a parent .
can teach a young child many of the
little things they \\ i 1 ' need as the>
get older. But because many parents
are so young and sometimes do not
have the necessary tools to help
their children. Newell hopes to
begin a parent workshop. She said
. the workshop Will help parents
: guide their children through h'igh
school and then on to college. Edu
cational professionals will talk jo
parents about how they can help
their children at home and things^
as some basic math principles.
Nojf only parents should be
, committed to helping children, it
should be a communit) effort.
Newell said. She said she is grateful
to Shiloh Baptist church and Bill
Rice for driving the students to
Reynolda House Museum of Art
gyfery day : ' '
' "We've got to take the educa
tion of our children in hand and let
them know We care." she said!
II
J ' r * ' ' ' , . . ;?' %
Coke wants Connection with Grass-Roots Community
B) DAVID L. D1LLARP
Chronicle Staff Writer
Aquila Canty and-Xarlus
Flowers wanted summer jobs that
were exciting and meaningful to
the community.
They found them through a
summer internship with the Coca
Cola Corporation's Community
Connection program.
The two senior business stu
dents at \Vinston-Salem State Uni
versity can be seen driving the
company's community connection
music van through black neighbor
hoods giving away Coke products
to residents.. , ;
-r "i appreciate what they're
doing for the black community and
the entire community in Winston
Salem." Canty said. "They have
shown a genuine interest in our
youth." .. a
Coca-Cola's Community Con
nection program started last Octo
j ber with a test market in Greens
boro. Since June, the effort ha^f
; spread throughout the Triad where
the music van makes stops at
recreation centers, housing com
? ? ? > . ?/ ; .1
areas in the African- American
community giving away drinks
and other Coca-Cola products.
RoxAnne J^cot, Coca-Cola's
area marketing director, said ^he
interns were recruited to increase
the company's presence in the
African- American community.
"They understand what's
happening in the communities
first hand, so we ask them for
feedback," she said. "From them
we get a reality check to. see if
our data is correct."
Jacoj said the van makes :
several unannounced stops at
area recreation centers and gives
out drinks, ^-shirts and frisbees. I
They have also enlisted the ?
support of Greensboro radio sta
tion WQMG Power 97.
Pat Brannigan, Coca-Cola's
regional vice president, noted that
the company has sponsored many
major events of black interest,
such as the CIAA basketball tour
nament, but said the community
connection effort is specialized to
reach grass-roots blacks.
"We're trying to reach the
Ur Carl us Flowers , Aquila Canty, Rox Anne Jacot and Pat Banigan pic
tared with Coca-Cola Community Connection Van
grass-root^ ^frican-Amwiran
community directly," Brannigan
said. "It's our way of reaching Out
and giving back. This way we
make a hands-on connection and
show our appreciation to African- .
? American consumers."
Flowers, who said he would
like to work for Coca-Cola, said he
was impressed by the company's
appreciation for African Amcrir ,
cans.
"They are not doing programs,/
just for advertising." he said. "It's
not just to put (the name) C(jke out
therq. They're sincere about giving
hack to- the community." -
The community connection '>
van will be visiting different areas
throughout the summer. .
Men's or women's thongs
Multi-Aztec prints. Great for those
hot summer days at the beach or
at the pool. Reg. 6.99^ Sale
On sale Wednesday,
June 29 through
Saturday , July 2, 1994
Roquliir Pri< OS May V.iry In Somo Stf >r??s ) )i jf * lo
Local Competition 1Q94 Kmart Corporation
. . i li I ? i i<ii iiUijjyyiw
Women's canvas oxfords
Comfortable and practical casuals
great for women on the go. They
feature a padded insole for comfort
with a nonskid rubber bottom..
Choose from a, variety of colors.
Reg. 3.99, Sale S3 Ea.
7770 NORTH POINT BLVD., WINSTON-SALEM ? 2690 PETERS CREEK I'KYVY., WINSTON-SALEM