Graduation
. »
Requirements
Increased
The State Board of
Education adopted changes
this past summer which will
increase the number of units
required for a high school
diploma. These changes will
also clarify other sections
dealing with the Standard
Course of Study. Additional
ly, the amendments to state
policy on some cases will
resolve problems frequently
by varying interpretations at
the local level.
State Superintendent
Craig Phillips says that while
the changes aren’t severe
shifts in policy, they do pro
vide students and school of
ficials with more flexibility in
determining the best ap
proach to granting a diploma
from a high school in the
North Carolina Public
School System.
The principal change.
Iterhaps, is the increase in the
number of units for gradua
tion. The new amendments
hike the minimum number
of high school units for
graduation to 18. All but 13
of the •'tate’s 145 school units
already require at least 18
units, and in mosi th«*«e
units, students gencio.iy
have 18 or more units
anyway. However, the state
felt the need to adopt the
change since most other
states'policies required 18or
more units for graduation.
The new policy requires
that the 18 units be achieved
during the final four years of
school, grades 9-12. It re
quires that work successfully
completed in the ninth
grade, where units are not
avarded, shall be “deemed
to satisfy the requirements
for graduation." In the past,
ninth graders in a system
with only three high school
grades, 10 through 12, were
l’ limited in the number of high
school offerings. The new
policy provides that
regardless of which system is
quirea 10 complete certain
courses during the last four
years of school. Deputy
Assistant State Superinten
dent Jerry Beaver believes it
“provides more flexibility
for ninth graders who may
now find room for electives
acceptable for a high school
diploma.”
In connection with the in
crease in the number of units
required for a diploma, the
new policies require an addi
tional unit of math and one
more elective. The math re
quirement raises the number
needed to graduate to two
and the additional elective
raises that requirement to
seven.
Beaver says the changes
will make the senior year for
all students more mean
ingful. With the increased
unit requirement, the final
year student will reach that
senior plateau with signifi
cant courses, both required
and elective, to take.
The new policy changes
also clarify a section which
provides discretion for the
Erincipal in determining
ow much of a course a stu
dent must repeat. For in
stance, if a student falls
down on a given subject late
in the year and must repeat
I jU it, the principal has the
* '▼ discretion to determine how
much of the course should be
repeated.
I
Darden Sisters Book Is 288
r
Pages Of Delightful Reading
By Teresa Bums
Post Staff Writer
One idea started the Darden
sisters on a journey that was
- to take seven years. Norma
Jean and Carole Darden tra
veled and gathered recipes
and historical data unique to
their iamily. The end product
of their endeavors is now in
book form entitled “Spoon
bread and Strawberry Wine:”
Recipes and ivnminiscences of
a Family.”
Spoonbread is 288 pages of
delightful reading. Divided
into two main sections captur
ing the high-spirited Dardens
from North Carolina and the
sober Sampsons from Ohio,
the book explains the char
acter as well as the motivation
behind the family members. A
quote from Spoonbread re
veals that all family members
possessed “seriousness of pur
pose and flashes of humor.”
That same quote could also
describe Spoonbread, and to
think it all started with a
en’s dinner parties. It seems
Iknt n --* * * 4.1 4
— —» — wivwviwuvu uiai
the two Darden sisters must
have an abundance of old
family recipes. This prompted
the two sisters to travel by any
convenient means - bus, plane
or whatever - to visit relatives
situated all across the United
States.
For seven years the Dard
ens spent their weekends visit
ing relatives. They attended
family reunions, family wedd
ings, family anything to get
information. Often they re
turned to one spot more than
once. Carole explained; “We
couldn’t shoot questions at our
relatives...We had to be with
them over a period of time and
have patience."
Thus, the sisters worked
together. At first they intend
ed to write a recipe book, but
once they started, they were
, inspired by the fact that they
learned more about themselv
es thru family history. From
that point the sisters decided
that their book would not only
hold recipes, but reminiscenc
es of their family as well.
While visiting family the
Dardens came across family
pictures that conveyed the
very messages and stories
told to them. “Our family was
typical of many Black famili
es at the turn of tne century
who longed to better them
selves and their education,”
Norma Jean said
With the information gath
ered the Darden sisters proce
eded to organize
SPOONBREAD into personal
anecdotes with pictures and
the recipe(s) for beauty or
foods that each relative was
most noted for.
There are relatives of the
Darden’s living in Charlotte
today, Mr. and Mrs. Walter G.
Byers of 1816 Beatties Ford
Road, Mrs. Thelma Byers,
an excellent cook in her own
right, is a former Home Eco
nomics teacher. She is the
Darden’s father's sister’s
daughter. Mrs. Byers contri
buted significantly to SPOON
BREAD AND STRAWBERRY
WINE....recollecting some of
the most favored historical
events concerning the Dard
en’s grandmother and giving
recipes.
Byers remembered many
recipes and passed them on to
the Darden sisters, such as the
Tip6ey Cake, Syllabub, Top of
the Stove North Carolina Com
Pone, many jams, jellies and
old fashioned desserts. And
now that SPOONBREAD is in
“ fery proud” about its
have tried recipes like the
plum wine and it came out
fine," Byers said. Also Byers
donated SPOONBREAD AND
STRAWBERRY WINE to the
North Branch Library on La -
Salle Street.
One of the Darden's uncles,
Russell Darden attended
Johnson C. Smith University.
In the year he attended the
college it was known as Biddle
College. A picture of their
uncle and his sophomore class
of 1914 which consisted of
about 23 Black men can be
found on Page 72.
BUT IT TAKES MONEY
Norma Jean and Carole
Darden had to spend some of
their own money to prepare
SPOONBREAD. They worked
full time and traveled on
weekends by any means con
venient. However, they did
have help. Their publishing
company, Ancho Press
Doubleday, gave them an ad
vance.
What led to the Darden's
advance was Norma Jeans
recipe article published in the
New York Times Newspaper.
After that, First Publishing
Company called and wanted a
book Dased on the recipes. But
First Publishing Company
went out of business and both
Norma Jean and Carole were
left with an alternative.
They chose to submit a
finished manuscript of
SPOONBREAD to Ancho
Press Doubleclay. “It took
time, but Doubleclay finally
accepted our book,” Norma
Jean said.
FINAL RESULTS
It was a project two sisters
from Newark, N. J. wanted to
work on together. It was some
thing neither had done before;
it was an experiment. The
Dardens worked at least once
a month on their book for
seven years. The result:
“Spoonbread and Strawberry
Wine.”
Spoonbread is the results of
hard work and endurance, but
more lies ahead for the Dar
den sisters. They recently lec
tured at Bennett and Fisk
Colleges. They have appeared
on NBC-TV’s Today Show and
in People Magazine.
Various newspapers, TV
and radio stations have inter
viewed them. Spoonbread has
had the honor of being nomi
nated to receive the Taste
makers Award for the best
regional cookbook of 1979.
. Thai* Mo****** — rlirrc
include engagements in
Dallas, Houston and Mem
phis. And for the future, the
Dardens are planning another
novel. Again it will involve
team work.
In addition to promoting
Spoonbread, Carole plans to
return to social work. Norman
Jean now writes beauty and
feature articles for Essence
Magazine.
Spoonbread and Strawberry
Wine is on sale at Belks. They
make wonderful Christmas
gifts mainly because it con
tains more than just words.
Spoonbread contains memo
ries of a close family, through
each profile its easy to feel
that closeness and the proud
existence of each family mem
ber.
The essence of Spoonbread
and why it exist today is better
explained by Carole Darden,
"It’s important for all Black
families to document history
in order to preserve what has
been a rich heritage.
START EVERY
THURSDAY
WITH THE
CHARLOTTE ROST
" I
“Back To Basics” Movement
Led To Substantial Decline
A recent report of the Na
tional Research Council
says the "back to basics"
movement in elementary
and secondary education,
combined with declining
enrollments and strained
finances, has led to a sub
stantial decline in the
quality of precollege
education in science and
mathematics.
The report, titled "The
State of School Science," is
one of eight reviews that the
National Science Founda
tion has requested from eight
national organizations, each
with its own perspective on
science education.
One of the recommenda
tions of that report calls for
NSF-sponsored institutes
for physical science teachers
to update knowledge and to
develop subject matter for
use in the classroom.
The Chemistryr Depart
ment at the University of
North Carolina at
Charlotte, in cooperation
with the Office for
Continuing Education, is
conducting such a
precollege teacher
development program
throughout the academic
year.
Funded by the National
Science Foundation, the
program allows the teachers
to attend sessions concern
ing tonics of their greatest
need.
"This is an opportunity
for teachers to learn the
most recent developments in
the subject matter related to
their teaching material."
said Dr. Paul Rillema,
associate professor of
chemistry. “We hope to
stimulate the teachers so
they will stimulate the
students in their
classroom.”
L/I . i\iiit'iiiu mm
even the most modern
textbooks being used in the
school system contain old
fashion notions and don't
reflect recent changes in
chemistry. “Many teachers
don’t realize they are gi\ ing
students outdated infor
mation,” he said.
The UNCC professor
says the blame shouldn't be
placed on the teachers hi.
the authors of textbooks
instead. “Textbooks written
for junior high students are
simplified so they don't
overwhelm students," he
said, “But much of the in
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formation is no longer
appropriate in the field.”
As an example he cited
the Bohr concept of the
atom which is being taught
in current textbooks. "That
concept is now treated as an
historical tool which is no
longer relevant." said Dr.
Rillema.
The UNCC workshops
are also designed for
teachers trained in one field
of science who find
themselves teaching courses
in a second or third field as
well.
Approximately 20 junior
high teachers are already
enrolled in the UNCC
program. Through October
the teachers are exploring
the "Atomic Structure."
During November and
December, the teachers will
study "Chemistry of the
Elements,” a study of the
role of valence and bonding
in chemical compound
formation as well as writing
and balancing reactions.
January and February’s
topic is “Properties of
Compounds in Solution,"
including acids, bases, salts,
electrolytes and non
electrolytes. The topic
for March and April is
“Nuclear Ch emistry,”
including nuclear structure,
radiochemistry, radio
activity. nuclear energy and
its social applications, and
medicinal applications of
radionuclides.
Classes meet at 6:30 p.m.
the first and third Tuesday
of each month, and teachers
can still register.
There is no cost to
teachers accepted for the
program. They receive a
book allowance and a
partial travel allowance
through the NSF grant.
The Charlotte-Mecklen
burg School System has
approved the workshops as
an in-service course for its
teachers.
For further information,
contact Dr. Rillema in the
UNCC Department of
Chemistry at 597-2167.
Mwh Personality '
Is there a Little Miss Per
sonality in your home? If you
know a Little Miss Per
sonality between the ages of 6
and 10, contact the Mecklen
burg Jaycettes at 332-3462
before October 31 for full
details of the Little Miss Per
sonality Contest.
Six finalists w ill be chosen,
with the winner to ride in the
Carrousel Parade on
Thanksgiving Day.
The Mecklenburg Jaycet
tes urge all interested parties
to call 332-3462 today. Make
Thanksgiving a very special
day for your Little Miss Per
sonality, _
Subscribe to the Charlotte
Host ’~Youf~*Support helps ’
The Darden Sisters, Norman Jean far left and
Carol far right, are shown with Mr and Mrs
Walter G. Byers. (Photo by Edison Photo
graphic Studio)
2 community Development
Public Hearings Scheduled
The Mayor and City Council will hold two
public hearings on the Charlotte Community
Development Program to collect your comments
and suggestions for its sixth, seventh, and eight
years.
THE HEARINGS WILL BE HELD IN THE
COUNCIL CHAMBER OF CITY HALL ON
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13.
\
I
I
\
l
THE FIRST HEARING AT 4:00 P.M. will
allow social service contract agencies to request
funds. Other agencies wishing to provide services
to CD Neighborhood Strategy Areas (formerly
CD Target Areas) will also have a chance to
make funding requests.
THE 7:00 P.M. HEARING will be held to
get comments from the public and
Neighborhood Strategy Area residents on how
next year's CD money Should be spent.
Comments will also be encouraged as to how CD
money which may become available over the
next 2 years should be spent
t
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912 West Trade St._Phone 332-8163
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