European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday december 23, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 9 5-year-old s mom to double As teacher course lets parents hold classes at Home by Josema Fother Breme Rhau n Bureau s . Germany when 5-year-old  m in Ning Heads off to school his Mother Meliney won t Hae a Chance to relax read a Nuga inc Ami sin a Cun of Coffee. The 25-year old coast Cliuard wife will double As Brandon s teacher. And she admits that her son s Success in first Grade depends As much on her being prepared As on her son s Diligence. Mrs. Manning already has begun sorting through the teaching manual lesson plans and theory behind the Calvert correspondence course offered by the c Alverl school in Baltimore my. Thousands of Miles away from the North sea Island where the mannings arc stationed. My  lie boy is just ecstatic said the budding teacher. He asks me every Day Mommy can we get started on our lessons1? " Branden will do his learning Al Home because the nearest american school is in Heinsburg 3.1 Miles away and across the Channel. The Only Way across the Channel is by train and the trip would involve several transfers for the boy the Calvert program is approved in the department of education in the stale of Maryland and is Rico Gnu cd by inc North Central association of colleges and schools which accredits department of defense dependents schools. The program is an alternative for children who cannot easily attend an american school abroad. Yet few use it. Dodds officials in Cie Many said Only seven children Are enrolled in he c Akerly course. Mrs. Manning plans to enter the teaching ranks by this summer. Assisting her will be a stateside teacher and her husband Mike who studied for several years under the same course his son soon will Start. The course is designed with the Novice teacher in mind mrs Manning said the manual is so  that i Don t really think you need a leaching degree at  she . Mrs Manning a High school graduate from Corpus Christi. Texas has taken business courses Hal were related to her stateside Job in a Bank Branden is attending a German kindergarten on Sylt. The mannings plan to keep him in iceman school and teach the Calvert program in the afternoons. That will allow him to have Contact with other children his age and to fulfil his american educational requirements his Mother said. I will be Able to handle teaching Branden at the lower grades she said. When it comes to getting into the older children and the higher grades i Don i think would be As Good a teacher because i Don t have any teaching  for a $275 fee that was paid by the coast guard the mannings recently received the kit for the first year in school. It contains everything needed for a Complete school year including coloured paper crayons writing pads pencils Index cards and texts for mathematics science writing and storytelling it also includes tests. A daily schedule suggests when courses should be taught and How much time should be Piven each topic it is so detailed Hal it c in sets aside a half hour for recess mrs. Manning void. The less Are mailed Back to Maryland where they arc graded by a teacher who is assigned to the Pupil. The service costs an additional $140 but is necessary so the child can gel credit for completing each Grade level mrs. Manning said. Although the teacher in Maryland probably never will Sec the student an extensive questionnaire is provided As a Means of gauging the Pupil she said. Thus the stale Side teacher knows whether the student is left handed or right handed has hobbies and what the educational background of the person administering the course is. The Culvert course is available for students in Kinder Garten through eighth Grade. The Price increases slightly fur higher grades. Mike Manning a machinists technician my fas signed to the Loran a directional beam station on Sylt took the Calvert course in the late i Joos in Saigon Vietnam now to Chi mind City. His father worked in Saigon As a businessman. It was pretty much like a regular old school he said. She his Mother was pretty Stern As far As getting things done As she expected them  me passed the third and fourth grades As a Cakert school student and started the fifth Grade course before returning to the ignited slates mis father stayed behind As a civilian teaching the vietnamese to build Large refrigeration units. Manning said. I could j of at my own Speed he said of the course. Me said lie stayed a Little ahead of the Pace set by Stu dents in his general ape group at the tiny american school in Saigon daily school schedules were adjusted to ii his Mother s schedule schoolwork might be done in the a ening. But Manning said he spent As Many hours in class As regular schoolchildren. The mi1 innings sex Peel there will be hurdles to Clear. They arc unsure How their .1-year old daughter . Will Liapi to the afternoon leaching sessions for Branden. Both parents said they Are looking Forward the Challenge. I m really astounded Aslo How you gel started learn ing Branden s lather said it s really fantastic How first graders Start  the mannings will have a front Row seat to watch Hal learning process just As soon As they decide the time is or Brand right Fonden to Start first Grade. Home earning system pays Ott Tor 4 Brothers by Dan  Stull hot Burcus bad , Germany i or friends the four Griggs boys Rel on them selves. For education they rely on the Cal Verl school. The Grid is family lives 50 Miles from Stuttgart. Thai s How far the children age 7 to 13, must go to meet an american their age. Am.1  s How  the would have to go to Allend an Amati can school. When air Force c it. I  Griggs accepted orders to establish the ft52nd i Saff contingency Hospital in Donau Schingen he and his wife do disc. Considered boarding schools German schools and stateside schools for their sons they settled on educating the boys themselves and so far the think that decision has paid off. I m Able to catch the slowness and learning problems which in a class of 30 people would t be caught their Mother said. In a Large classroom those that fall behind stay  the family has experience with falling behind. Before they moved to bad Ducor him Griggs had another isolated assign ment in Duns on England. While he set up inc up the 310th Saff contingency Hospital his sons attended a 60-student British school. Two of the boys slipped backward. Ray 11 was a sixth grader in the British school. The Cal Crl placement lest indicated he should be in fourth Grade. Sec Ond grader Jamie has problems Reading Al the Calvert level. Improving his Reading has become a family project. All inc boys help with that mrs. Griggs said. They All have Jamie Reading to  the boys attend class in a basemen room furnished with desks maps and texts. The books came from Cal Crl. Griggs built the desks. Mrs Griggs presides Over the classroom every weekday from 9 . To 3 . There s a separation Between me As their Mother and me As their teacher she said. There s no nonsense. It s strictly class. She reads All the texts before her sons begin them so i know if they try to Snow me. Mrs Griggs said she feels comfortable is photo a Denise criers keeps Busy leaching her four sons. Clockwise from left Are Jamie 7 Frank jr., 13 Ray ii and Charlie 9. Teaching with the Calvert system. Each Page of the leaching booklets provided by Calvert gives explicit instructions. Her husband helps their oldest son with his geometry lessons in the evening. The children also have some extra learning aids. They arc learning to speak German with an audio cassette program. Griggs also bought computer programs in spelling and math so his sons can become computer literate while they improve Basic skills. A Tutor helped them for a few months last school year after the department of defense dependents schools found a teacher willing to drive from Stuttgart. But the family must do without this year because the school system no longer can find anyone willing to make the weekly drive. Despite the isolation the family and the unusual school seem to function smoothly. The boys Are their own Busl Fri crids. They seem very Content Griggs said. They re probably closer As Brothers be cause of  the parents however Are concerned Hal their sons have no playmates outside the family. Socially they la be a Little introvert cd i think said Griggs about his boys transition to a regular school. Bui academically icy la fit right  the boys Don t seem to think attending school with Brothers and mom is unusual. Ray gels embarrassed when everyone in his family knows he has made a Misiac. Neither Ray nor Charlie 9, is crazy about being in a ctn l Al All. The oldest boy Frank or. Is looking Forward to next year when hell begin High school with a University of Nebraska correspondence course. Dodds uses the Nebraska program for older children who Are unable to Allend a Dodds school. Griggs thinks every military Parent should consider the Calvert a Stem As a possible alter native to a Dodds Schimil. It could be the right thing to use Cal Vert he said. But the advantages of family closeness and educational Eon Lrol Don l mean he Grig Gocs want to continue the at Home program indefinitely. One year in t too bad if you re willing to do All the work Griggs said. But Hal will be