WS Chronicle

Some things to think about after program  reflection

To the Editor:

The recognition of the three band directors – Rudolph V. Boone Sr. (Carver High School), Bernard T. Foy Sr. (Deceased – Paisley IB Magnet School) and Harry D. Wheeler (Deceased – Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy) – on Saturday, April 25, 2015 has incomprehensible significance or implications, way beyond human understanding or imagination.

The attendance at the Dedication Program was certainly no indication of its impact, success or significance.

It was noble (liberal) of the Big 4 Alumni Association of Forsyth County Inc. to accept such a proposal to petition the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board to recognize three of its former dedicated and long-serving band directors in one parliamentary action, by naming their respective school band rooms in their honor.

It was equally noble of the W-S/FC School Board to vote unanimously to approve the recommendation and follow through on the process in a relatively short period of time.

It was noble of those who signed petitions in favor of this recognition and those who support the idea with financial contributions, program participation, written and spoken words of appreciation, encouragement, gratefulness and satisfaction.

Obviously, there are lessons to be learned from this noble endeavor.   The big thing is … this community will be better off because of this history-making decision and action, as well as the state and nation.

Thanks to all who helped make this noble thing happen and let the world know about it!!

Rudolph V. Boone Sr. – Honoree

No Summer Camp opportunity for our 1st and 2nd graders attending Title I Schools?

To the Editor:

Opportunity. That is the commodity which every child in Forsyth County should have access. Unfortunately, the state of affairs in the local school system has singled out students at low performing schools and limited access to opportunity. Simply, too many of our schools are failing our children. And unfortunately most of the children in the schools that are failing are brown and black.

Nearly every elementary school that has a majority of black and brown students in Forsyth County received a grade of D or F in the latest assessment. That indeed is a shame. Added to that fact is the limited amount of access to tools that will help these students and ultimately these schools to improve.

I am thoroughly disgusted with the lack of resources being pumped into these failing schools. My daughter spent the first four years of her academic career at Forsyth Country Day, one of the top private schools in the state. Last year, because of our changing economic circumstances, we were forced to take her out of FCDS and enroll her in the local public school system for the first time. The choices were to enroll her at Ashley or Cook Elementary. We enrolled her at Cook. What a shock that was for her.

My daughter has always loved school. She has been one of the class leaders since she enrolled in the Jr. Pre-K program at Forsyth Country Day. As she moved up to Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade she continued to excel. However, last year as a second-grader, she began to dislike school. Too many children off task, too many interruptions of instruction and too many fights.

Fortunately her zest for learning was restored last summer when she attended the Explorers Camp at Petree Elementary.  That camp, which was funded by Title I, was refreshing and exciting. She compared her daily activity to that which she had experienced at Forsyth Country Day, where she was very active as the lead in plays both her kindergarten and first grade year. As a member of the Give Me the Beat choir at FCDS, she had performed musically at a number of venues, including a performance at BB&T [Ballpark] where the choir sang the National Anthem before a Winston-Salem Dash game.

Reinvigorated, she eagerly anticipated going to the Explorers Camp each morning. She jumped up every morning excited to have the chance to learn and share experiences with fellow campers. Campers studied the cultures of Mexico and China. They also had an opportunity to display their musical talents for fellow campers. In addition, they received tutoring to improve their English and math skills.

As a result, her experience this year at Cook Elementary has been very rewarding. Despite distractions, she has been a leader throughout the school year. Her grades have been exemplary. She has made A’s in all of her academic classes, and I was very excited about her grading out on the 92nd percentile on a recent end-of-quarter test in math.

Yet, I am concerned that she might regress this summer because she won’t be able to attend the Explorers Camp. Surely, the powers that be in the local school system realized how much it added to the lives of the children who attended the camp last summer. It is a shame that such a wonderful vehicle for affording black and brown children in our county an opportunity to learn, grow, and, more importantly, to not regress, will not be available for them this summer. After all, shouldn’t they want to give every child in the school system an opportunity to broaden their horizons?

Theresa Davis, Parent