Students reading j;o adiufei
WSFCSpfco**
_^0tfTethan 25 volunteers gather to participate in a
reading workshop at the WJl. Anderson Community
Center.
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BY KIM UNDERWOOD
WINSTON-SALEM/FORSYTH COUNTY
SCHOOLS
On Saturday morning, first-grader
Maleah Brissett headed over to the recre
ation center on Reynolds Park Road to
read a Junie B. Jones book to one of the
adults participating in the reading work
shop.
"It's funny," Maleah said when asked
why she picked "Junie B. Jones Has a
Monster Under Her Bed."
"I think it will be great for her," said
her mother, A'shna Nelson. "She loves to
read to me."
This was the first
time that Maleah and
her mother had partic
ipated in one of the
reading workshops
held at the W.R.
Anderson Community
Center. Other students
signing in had also
brought books they
enjoy - including
ur\' _ .r iim m
Daw kins
neces 01 wny,
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School," and
"Rise of the Balloon Goons" from "The
Notebook of Doom" series - to read to the
volunteers.
More than 25 volunteers - including
Kenneth Simington, the school system's
chief academic officer, and Donald Wyatt,
the assistant principal at Sedge Garden
Elementary School - were on hand to
work with the more than 50 students in
kindergarten through ninth grade.
Wyatt said he was there on a Saturday
morning to support students and to support
literacy. "Anything we can do to help chil
dren read is worth doing," he said. "I think
it's important for them to see us out here
on their turf."
While the students read to the volun
Laron Gaddy, a fifth-grader at Union Cross Elementary, is with his mother,
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teers, the adult would write down any
words that the student stumbled over so
they could go back over them later.
The workshops grew out of discus
sions that Bryant McCorkle, who is the
supervisor of the W.R. Anderson
Community Center as well as the
home/school coordinator at Sedge Garden,
had with Dr. Vernon Ross, an associate
professor of obstetrical and gynecological
anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist
Health.
"We are trying to increase their reading
skills," Ross said. "My vision and my goal
is to help Dr. Emory with trying to get
everybody to read on grade level in
Forsyth County." '
"It's a great partnership working with
Dr. Ross," McCorkle said. "He is helping
a lot of kids. Parents, they love it."
Tiffany Gaddy was there with her son,
Laron, a fifth-grader at Union Cross who
likes chapter books that focus on history or
adventure. Gaddy thought the workshop
was a great idea.
"It encourages reading," she said.
"Reading is very important," said
Jermelle Jeter, who was there with his son
Jamil, a fourth-grader at Union Cross.
One thing he likes about reading, Jeter
said, is "you can get into a book and go
different places and still be in the same
place."
Ross and McCorkle started holding
Saturday reading workshops in the center
in 2013. Since then, they have held three a
year.
"It's getting bigger and bigger,"
McCorkle said.
Eventually, they would like to expand
the workshops to once a month, and, if
possible, to begin holding workshops in
schools.
Other volunteers there also have ties to
the school system. Baia Dawkins is a
Crosby Scholar who goes to Atkins
Academic & Technology High School.
Cornelius Flood was an assistant principal
at Wiley Magnet Middle School when he
retired in 2011. In September, he was one
of the members of the Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity who spent a morning at North
Hills Elementary School.
Harold Martin, a former chancellor at
Winston-Salem State University who is
now chancellor at N.C. A&T State
University, was there. Volunteers also
came from United Metropolitan
Missionary Baptist Church, Winston
Salem State University and Wake Forest
University.
The workshop included students from:
Brunson Elementary, Diggs-Latham
Elementary, Easton Elementary, Hall
Woodward Elementary, Moore
Elementary, Sedge Garden Elementary,
Sherwood Forest Elementary, The
Downtown School, Union Cross
Elementary, East Forsyth Middle, and
Paisley IB Magnet.
For more information about future
reading workshops, call the W.R.
Anderson Community Center at 650
7684.
"We know this area is
probably the most
poverty stricken area
in the city. That's why we
focus our efforts here."
-Dave Pollard WSPFFA president
Photo by Tevin Stinson
Members of the WSPFFA help a young preschooler select
her favorite color coat during the Coats For Kids Project on
Saturday, Dec. 19.
i. i
Local firefighters, Family Services give winter coats to preschoolers
BY TEVIN STINSON
FOR THE CHRONICLE
Members of the
Winston-Salem
Professional Fire Fighters
Association (WSPFFA) got
into the season of giving
last Saturday when they
arrived at the Sarah Y.
Austin Head Start Center
with brand new coats for
41 children.
In support of the
national association's
Coats For Kids Project,
Firefighters from Station
12 located on New
Walkertown Road coordi
nated fundraisers through
out the year to purchase the
A
new coats.
The WSPFFA has par
ticipated in the project
since 2011, bringing coats
to a different community
each year. According to
WSPFFA president Dave
Pollard, every year they
focus on a different neigh
borhood in the eastern por
tion of the city.
"We know this area is
probably the most poverty
stricken area in the city.
That's why we focus our
efforts here." Pollard said.
In years past, the event
has served children in the
LaDeara Crest neighbor
hood, The Salvation Army
Boys and Girls club, and a
number of inner city
schools. Pollard said he
would like to continue the
relationship with Head
Start and their local
provider Family Services
because they are able to
identify the children who
need the coats the most.
"I think we will contin
ue our partnership with
Head Start and Family
Services because they are
with these kids every day
and are able to identify the
most neediest children in
the area."
In years past the
WSPFFA worked with
M
council members to identi
fy the areas with the
biggest need for the proj
ect.
Family Services presi
dent and CEO Bob
Feikema said he is thrilled
to be able to provide so
many new coats for
preschoolers in need.
Feikema mentioned it is
extremely important for
children to have a warm
coat during those cold win
ter mornings.
"We know from the
past that we can have some
pretty bitter mornings,
especially when you have
kids coming to school and
waiting on the schools
bus," he said. "It's impor
tant that they stay warm
and healthy."
Along with the coats,
the firefighters also pre
pared a pancake breakfast
for the children and fami
lies in attendance. While
enjoying their meal, a num
ber of parents said they
were grateful for every
thing the WSPFFA and
Family Services did to
make the event possible.
"This is truly a bless
ing," said Ashley Manning.
"These are very nice coats
and they will last for a cou
ple of winters as well. I am
grateful to everyone who
made this event possible."
Before handing out the
brand new American made
coats, Pollard said although
the WSPFFA sponsors a
number of community
events throughout the year,
Coats For Kids is the event
the firefighters enjoy the
most.
"Every year we try to
do more and more and
more. This isn't our only
event, but this is the one we
enjoy the most," he said.
"Seeing the kids' faces is
just priceless, especially
during the holidays. It's a
huge deal for us."
I