ELC deserves strong support

Proverbs 22:6 teaches us to “Train up a child as he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” I’ll call that a life’s lesson and understand that if we take a strict spiritual view of this verse it is clear that we should instruct our children when they are young the lessons of faith. By teaching our kids, when they are faced with the difficulties of life we are assured they have a foundation to draw on.

Most all educators see evidence of this in classrooms each day. If you’ve ever heard the delight and emotion in a teacher’s voice describing their feelings as they witness a student’s “lights come on,” you see evidence of what this verse means.

Students (and all of us) utilize all of what has been learned in understanding new or expanded topics. Learning to read on grade level is an important component if students are going to reach above where they are in life and grasp new ideas.

The South Rome Early Learning Center housed at Anna K. Davie Elementary School is a unique partnership between the South Rome Redevelopment Corp., Rome City Schools and Berry College. The center uses a systematic approach to assess, improve and communicate the importance of early school-age care and education programs.

These educators teach academic and social skills every day. They teach children how to respect themselves, their fellow students and teachers. They work hard to teach reading and other academic skills.

These are skills that will not be forgotten, and will be drawn upon many times as they grow and advance. Quite simply this center helps build the foundation for future success. It is important for us to understand the children who come from homes less fortunate than most. One of the strengths of this program has been the high level of parental OTIS RAYBON Illustration by Lee Field, RN-T

involvement. Most parents want to see their children have a better opportunity than themselves. While they may not have gotten the education others did, they realize the importance of education in their child’s life.

Jackie McDowell, dean of the Charter School of Education and Human Sciences at Berry College, reports 100-percent parent conference attendance since the center opened in 2015. Further, she reports 91-percent participation in the eight to 12 parent workshops per year. Parents and caregivers discuss the joys and challenges of raising 3-year-olds. McDowell says that the “parents’ perceptions are changing in a positive way.”

Consider that 48 graduates — from 2015 to 2017 — have gone to pre-K, with four classrooms on track for early reading. The first group of 18 children is now in kindergarten and out-performing their peers on language and literacy indicators.

Children who read on grade level at third grade are more likely to graduate from high school. A goal of the school is to give children a two-year head start on developing reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

The program is unique because it has Berry College as its foundation. Twenty-plus Berry students work at the center each semester. Eight of these students are now Rome City media colleagues do. I tell her that is one of the primary reasons you eagerly pick up this paper. You want to be able to quote one of my patent-pending political observations when next in the grocery checkout line or at a yard sale and have everyone look at you with wonder and awe.

I wouldn’t expect her to understand what I am talking about because while she knows a lot about broccoli — too much, in fact — the Woman Who Shares My Name doesn’t know squat about politics. For the sake of matrimonial harmony and to avoid the prospect of having broccoli shoved up my nose, I try to say that to her with a bit more delicacy, but the fact is the intricacies of the political process are simply beyond her realm of understanding.

We were having a conversation about this very subject last week when I informed her I was working on a column about how the monetary fluctuations in Tajikistan could impact the race for Georgia’s insurance commissioner. (Sorry, I can’t give you a hint, for it is a very complex subject that I want to get exactly right so you can wow them in the checkout line or at the garage sale.)

She wondered if I kept a file of my previous columns. Of course, I scoffed. I am making history and it is incumbent I have documentation available for future generations seeking to mine the political wisdom of times past. “Could you find the column you wrote in February 2001?” she asked. Piece of cake, I said.

It was a column about the upcoming governor’s race. “Would you please read aloud the first sentence in the fifth paragraph?” she requested. Sure. “Gov. Roy Barnes has his hand firmly on the throttle.”

Staff graphic Of the readers who responded to our most recent poll about whether we’re done with cold temperatures, 26 percent said Yes, 26 percent said No, and 48 percent Who knows (It’s Georgia, hard to say). LField@RN-T.com

Schools teachers. All the above is important and critical for the future of children from low-income families. But a financial shortfall is threatening the future of the program.

SRRC raises some $50,000 annually to help fund the program, but that still leaves a major shortfall. A new Memorandum of Understanding between the partners is being worked on and could see Rome City Schools picking up more, if not all, of the teachers’ salaries for the 3-year-old learning program.

Rome and Floyd County have a great program that is being discussed nationwide as a model that can be replicated. Rome needs this program for the children. Working with Berry College and Rome City Schools, this center could become an economic development showcase for industrial prospects and job development.

We encourage Rome City Schools to use all resources available when considering the MOU. Who knows, maybe Floyd County Schools can participate.

What a great opportunity the Early Learning Center presents our community to raise up children as we should and watch them grow to become Rome leaders. Next sentence, please: “He is helped immeasurably by a Republican leadership in the Legislature that can’t find their backside with both hands.” “Now,” she said, “the next sentence.” Uh-oh, I wasn’t liking where this was going. “Roy Barnes will easily win a second term.”

“Did he?” she asked. I told her I didn’t remember. That was a long time ago. “Let me refresh your memory,” she said. “A Republican state senator from Bonaire, George E. Perdue, won and became the first Republican governor in Georgia since Reconstruction and only the second in our state’s history.” She had to have read that somewhere.

“I have an idea,” she said. I hoped it was a better one than having me read that column aloud. “Over the years, I have gotten to know a number of your editors well. I thought I might share this column with them,” she chirped, “and remind them of just what a highly respected political pundit you are.”

Please don’t do that, I whined. “Then do you think you could find something else to write about instead of politics?” she asked. I told her there was a good possibility of that if she would destroy that column.

So, it is with much regret that I must inform you that due to circumstances beyond my control, I am unable to explain how the monetary fluctuations in Tajikistan could impact the Georgia insurance commissioner’s race. Maybe it’s time I thought about trapping alligators for a living.

Call me a wimp, or Ishmael, but I don’t like pain. I first met pain in 1970, when I accidentally stuck my year-old face in an open fan.

Since then, I have learned my lesson and attempted to stay away from pain, and open fans.

Often, though, pain sneaks up on us, catches us when we’re not looking, as it did last Tuesday when I stuck my 40-somethingyear-old face in an open fan.

Oddly enough, a few days later, pain reared its painful head once more. And again, the throbbing ache came from my mouth area, which is now located behind my right ear.

My wife diagnosed my ailment as some kind of -osis or -itis. I can’t remember which. It has to do with my sinuses, which are now located adjacent to my pancreas.

So, me and my sore throat ventured to the local pharmacy to find a drug to soothe what ails me.

In the sore throat/cold/allergy section, I quickly glanced at the numerous medicinal options available. Side by side, three familiar lozenge brands caught my eye. There was one labeled “Regular Strength,” one “Extra Strength,” and next to it, “Maximum Strength.” I grabbed the “Maximum Strength.”

As I did, a hand reached in front of mine and grabbed the “Regular Strength” variety of this particular medicine.

I peered over at the man. He looked like an average, reasonable person. No undergarments on his head or tattoos of Hulk Hogan on his face. Why on earth, if he was in pain, would he choose the regular strength variety over the extra or maximum strength when the prices were just cents apart? Why do they even offer regular strength?

An inquiring mind wanted to know.

“Excuse me. Why would you choose regular strength?”

The man paused for a moments, perhaps considering my query, or sizing up for his trunk.

“Well,” he said thoughtfully. “The regular strength is 12 cents less. And if I chose the maximum strength, the pain in my throat would probably varnish altogether. I best stick with the regular strength.”

This answer, along with his usage of the word “varnish,” perplexed me.

“So, you don’t want the pain to go away?” “Sure.” Again. Perplexed. “No, I mean, it’s only 12 cents more. Why not get the highest dosage possible, so the pain won’t persist?”

“Naw, it hadn’t made me sweat yet, but it’s real painful,” the man responded.

I tried another stratergy. I mean, strategy.

“Do you have pain in your throat? Do you want the pain to go away?” This time, I spoke slowly. “Yessss, and yessss,” he said, slower.

“Well, then, why not buy the maximum strength? You may pay 12 cents more, but, that way, you’ll know you will have the most powerful pain relief,” I explained. “With the regular strength, you may not have enough to kill the pain. It may be a waste of time and money.”

“Sure,” the man said, apparently responding to nothing in particular.

“We’ll see ya.” He then walked away happily, as if pain wasn’t painful.

Why do they still sell regular strength? Because some people still buy it.