Graduation effort will start at Philo and Parkland
ngcncies announce
battle to increase
Forsyth 's dismal high
'? i school grad rate
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The United Way of Forsyth
County is looking to increase
the county's graduation rate to
90 percent by 2018, and the
organization is starting its
efforts at Philo Middle School
and Parkland High School,
where the effort dubbed,
"Graduating Our Future," was
announced last week.
The initiative is a partner
ship of the United Way, the
YMCA of Northwest North
Carolina, Big Brother/Big
Sisters and Family Services, Inc.
The plan will include student
tutoring, counseling and men
toring. The United Way has
made an initial investment of
$705,000. Over the next four
years, the organization is
expected to invest $2 million
into the effort.
'"Graduating Our Future'
was established to respond to
one of our community's most
critical needs: increasing the
high school graduation rate in
Forsyth County," said Jim
Nanton, chair of the Forsyth
United Way's board.
Currently, the local gradua
tion is 73.7 percent, which is
higher than the state average but
? lower thah other large NC coun
ties like Guilford and Wake.
Parkland, a predominately
African-American magifet
school, has 'the lowest gradua
tion rate in the county, 65.8 per
cent. Philo is the middle school
that provides Parkland with
most of its students.
Nanton said that United Way
decided to focus on high school
graduation because of how vital
it can be for young people. He
said that those without high
school degrees earn an average
of 32 percent less in the work
mora oy ioaa lock
United Way Chairman Jim Nanton speaks during last week's
announcement at Parkland High School.
force, are more likely to become
incarcerated- and are five times
more likely to live in poverty.
He said businesses look at the
high school graduation rate of
an area to determine the quality
of the work force before moving
there. Annually, the United Way
devotes more than $1.5 million
to services that help at risk stu
dents. The "Graduating Our
Future" funds are in addition to
that.
"What we're seeing is that
these children want to learn and
'Graduating our Future' helps to
remqye the obstacles that pre
vented them from finishing their
education, " said Curt
Hazelbaker, CEO of the region
al YMCA.
Hazelbaker said the initia
tive^ will focus on both students
and their families. At Philo,
Family Services will provide a
bilingual family counselor for
Hispanic families and will start
a program to strengthen fami
lies. Role models from local
colleges - provided through Big
Brothers/Big Sisters - will" men
tor the Philo students and tutor
ing will be provided by certified
teachers.
For Parkland, Hazelbaker
said, tutoring before, during and
after school will be provided.
Parkland will also have a class
credit-hour recovery lab to help
students graduate on time, a
family counselor and mentors.
The tutoring component at
Parkland began Jan. 3. So far,
160 students have received 150
hours of tutoring.
"Our programs have started,
Graduatil
Our FuliJl
: Jnited
| Way
JARKLAMB]
Cancer
pom page A7
a mutation) in one of two
genes. BRCA1 or BRCA2.
Everyone has these genes, but
in some people the genes don't
work properly. These genes
are involved in cell growth and
.division; they act like the
brakes on a car to keep cells
from growing out of control. If
the genes are not working
properly, cells can continue to
grow and reproduce
unchecked, allowing a cancer
to develop. Unlike sporadic
cancers, these mutations cao be
passed from parent to child.
Since we inherit one copy of
each gene from both the father
and the mother, the mutation
can coihe from either parent. It
is now possible to test for these
mutations by looking for mis
takes in these genes through a
process known as genetic test
ing.
Who should consider having
genetic testing?
A personal or family histo
ry which includes any of the
following should consider test
ing:
- Breast cancer prior to age
50
- Ovarian cancer at any age
- Male breast cancer at any
age
- Bilateral (cancer in both
breasts) breast cancer
- Both 'breast and ovarian
cancer
- Relative with known
BRCA1 or 2 mutation
Ashkenazi/Eastern
European Jewish descent
- Multiple family members
with breast and/or ovarian can
cer (all on mother's or father's
side of the family)
What is involved in genetic
testing?
Anyone who is considering
genetic testing should plan to
meet with a genetic counselor
first. During this visit, family
and personal cancer history
will be assessed and benefits as
welj as Junctions to testing
will be discussed. Cancer risks
associated with the hereditary
syndrome and implications for
family members will also be
reviewed. If genetic testing
appears to be appropriate, an
informed consent will be
obtained and a blood specimen
(one tube) will be drawn for
testing. The turnaround time
for receiving test results is
approximately three weeks.
What are the cancer risks
associated with mutations in
BRCA1 or BRCA2?
Women who have muta
tions in these genes are
believed to have a lifetime
breast cancer risk of approxi
mately 55-87 percent. The risk
for ovarian cancer ranges from
27- 44 percent, depending on
which gene is involved. Males
who have mutations in these
genes have a 6-7 percent risk of
developing breast cancer, and
their risk for prostate cancer is
about three times that of the
average male. In addition, the
risk for other cancers may be
increased slightly.
If a mutation is identified,
what can I do to reduce my
cancer risk?
Knowing that you are at
risk for certain cancers allows
you to choose ways to reduce
those cancer risks. This might
include very close medical sur
veillance, chemoprevention
with drugs such as Tamoxifen,
or prophylactic surgery
(removal of breast and/or
ovaries).
Will insurance cover the cost
of testing?
Most insurance companies
now cover the cost of testing.
In some cases, coverage may
be at 100 percent while other
companies may require a co
pay. The genetic counselor and
the testing laboratory will work
with you to determine your
insurance coverage. Medicare
covers 100 percent of testing in
patients who meet Medicare
guidelines. Although Medicaid
does not cover testing, certain
patients may qualify for free
testing in some cases.
What about genetic
discrimination?
When genetic testing first
became available, many people
had concerns about genetic dis
crimination; however, there are
laws to protect against this,0
including HIPAA and other
state laws.
These laws typically apply to
people insured in group plans.
What should I do if I decide
to consider testing?
If you are interested in pur
suing genetic testing, or if you
would like to talk with a coun
selor, ask your doctor for a
referral. Remember, knowing
your family fcistory has impor
tant implications for your own
cancer risks. Knowing these
risks allows you to take steps
to reduce cancer risk.
- Contribution by Gail
Hurt, BSN, MAEd, LPC
Do you need further infor
mation on this topic or
resources in your area or have
questions or comments about
this article? Please call toll
free 1-877-530-1824. Or, for
more information about the
Maya Angelou Research
Center on Minority Health,
please visit our web site:
http://www.wfubmc .edu/minori
ty health.
Babies
from paft A/
An estimated 25 percent of
these children die and 80 per
cent of survivors are left with
some form of life-long brain
injury.
Preliminary, unadjusted
data from the baseline survey
shows that almost one in 100
parents of children under
two reported that they or their
parther have shaken a
child. Also, 1.3 percent of
mothers in the survey reported
having seen somebody other
than their partner
shake a child under
two within the last
year.
North
Carolina's project
plans to provide
every parent of the
approximately
125,000 babies
born in the "state
annually with an
intervention pro
gram called "The Period of
PURPLE Crying," which #as
developed by Dr. Ron Barr, a
professor of commu
nity child health
research and a devel
opmental pediatri
cian at the University
of British Columbia,
and Marilyn Barr,
founder and execu
tive director of the
National Center on
Shaken Baby
Syndrome. Both Dr.
Barr and Marilyn
Barr are collaborating with
the North Carolina project.
Sen. Purcell
momentum is building and stu
dents are involved." said
Hazelbaker.
Both schools will also have
Summer Success Camps that
will help rising 6th-graders at
Philo and rising freshmen at
Parkland . Those students will jje
given tutoring in math and lan
guage skills and will also be
taught useful skills to help them
excel in all their classes.
United Way President Ron
Drago said that this effort has
really brought into focus what
his organization, which has
always focused on solving com
munity problems, is all about.
He said that helped make the
2007 fundraising campaign its
biggest ever, raising
$18,305,019.
"We were able to really
bring a voice to what the United
Way is ultimately about," said
Drago.
"Graduating Our Future"
will be at Parkland and Philo for
at least a year and half before
being analyzed and possibly
expanded to other schools in
Forsyth County.
BestHealth.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
February 2008 Events
Events are held at BestHealtrTTn Hanes Mall or other locations, as noted
V = registration required. Call Health On-Call' at 336-716-2255 or visit www.besthealth.com.
To become a BestHealth member, call 336-765-8804 or visit our web site.
16 SAT - Yoga for the Heart
1:30 p.m. Yoga improves flexibility,
strength and balance. Its also an excellent
way to stfengthga tL<^liu?ri muscle. Join
Valerie Kiscr^ET ||iufise Yoga for an
introduction K> m!5ves and strctches
that can help decrease your risk of heart
disease. Sponsored by the Heart Center
ofWFUBMCW
I9TUE- 12-Lead EKG Screening
1 to 6 p.m. Do you have a family history
of early heart disease? Does your heart
skip a beat? If you answer yes to either
of these questions, you should have a
12-Lead EKG to have your heart rhythm
checked. Receive a copy of your results
and have a Forsyth County paramedic
explain what it all means. Free. Space
limited. Appt. required. Sponsored by
the WFUBMC Heart Center. Sponsored
by the Heart Center of WFUBMC. Iff
20 WED - Do Distractions
Increase with Age?
1 1 a.m. I Iow does aging affect our abili
ty to pay attention and resist distraction?
Christina Hugenschmidt of WFUBMC
Neurosciences presents recent findings
related to the attend veness and strength
of focus in. all ages. For BestHealth
members only.?
21 THU - Love Those Bluebirds!
] 1 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The NC Bluebird
Society supports activities that foster the
resurgence of bluebirds. Bill Abbey offers
tips on how you can help preserve rhis
breed. For BestHeaith members only. Iff
21 THU - Cardiac Magnetic
Resonance Imaging
1:30 p.m. WFUBMC cardiologist Dr.
Greg Hundley explains how cardiac
MRi is used to diagnose and manage
heart disease *o improve patient out
comes. Sponsored by the Heart Center
ofmiBMC.?
2 1 THU - Out of Rhythm?
7 p.m. Does your heart skip a beat?
Join WFUBMC cardiologist Dr. Bryon
Ruber) to learn the signs, symptoms,
diagnosis and treatments available for
hem murmurs and arrhythmias.
SjSijiBored by the Heart Center of
26 TUE Meals for Moms-on
the-Go
6 to 7:30 p.m. Feeding the family with
meals that are tasty and healthy can be
challenging. Alex Swain of Whole Foods
Market* presents meal ideas for busy
moms. Tft"
27 WED - Fitness Testing
1 to 6 p.m. How well can your heart
manage a steady six-minute walking test?
Dr. Pete Brubaker of WFU Health and
Exercise Sciencgi:oj2^ic?| Fitness testing '
and checks yfcjEoljlmms index (BMI)
to indicate ydkr Mk ftWeart disease.
Free. Space limited. Appt. required.
Sponsored by the Heart Center of
WFUBMCW
27 WED - Exercise Your Heart
7 p.m. I. ike other muscles, the heart can
get stronger with proper
V./ , exercise and fitqess.
' Dr. Pete Brubakcr of
\\y -- WFU Health and
/ \ \ Exercise Science shares
' tips for developing an
exercise plan that's right for you and ideal
for your heart. Sponsored by the Heart
Center of WFUBMCW
Zo THU - Advance Directives
1 p.m. Learn how advance directives,
such as a living will
and healthcare \ I /
power of attor
ney, can ensure
your wishes will be
met. Learn the terminology and have
documents notarized free of charge.
O ?
28 THU - Strengthening the
Immune System
with Tai Chi
6 p.m. The Chinese exercise Tai Chi
is well known for improving balance,
strength itjft It can also
strengthenVMianurAjysteni. Hear
more abouFthisTsee a demonstration
and join in with Sandy Seeber and A!*#**))
Graham of Three Treasures Tai Chi.*ff
Other Locations
% <
13 WED - Identity Theft
1 1:30 a.m. Linsey Mills of the Mills
Foundation addresses coticern about
identity theft, the fastest growing crime
in the U.S. Held at Kerrftrsville Family
YMCA.^
I4thu - Preventing Golf Injuries
1 p.m. Learn from WFUBMC physical
therapist Michael Way how to get fit 6or
the golf course and prevent injuries.
Enjoy a demo of our motion analysis
machine. Held at CompRehab Plaza,
Miller St.^T
19 TUE - Yoga for Busy Parents
7 p.m. Join Christi Eley, certified yoga
instructor and founder of Angel Bear
Yoga, to learn how "A Pose a Day" can
bring peace, harmony and relaxation to
your day while providing meaningful
time with your little ones. For parents
and children. No yoga experience need
ed. Held at the Children's Museum of
Winston-Salem, 390 S. Liberty St. Free
babysitting available. ?
20 WED - Foods for a
Healthy Heart
1 1 a.m. or 6 p.m. Join BestHealth dieti
tian Daylc Fuentes for a tour at Whole
Foods Market* and explore the many
foods rich in antioxidants
and good for the
heart. Space limited.
Registration required
by calling 722-9233 or
visiting Whole Foods' customer scrvice
desk. Held at Whole Foods, 41 Miller
St., Winston-Salcm. V1
? To register for events, receive general health care information, or to schedule
a physician appointment, call: Health On-Call * at 716-22S5 or 800-446-2256.
Unless otherwise stated, BestHealth programs are lor adults; no children under aga 12, pkssa.
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