European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 18, 1991the stars and stripes a Page 9educationspang festival featured Many cultures by Jimi Jones education writer Span Dahlem Germany a the annual Folk dance festival at Span Dahlem elementary school had children hopping around the world As they exhibited their knowledge of different countries and cultures. All of the school s 400 or so youngsters dressed in homemade costumes to participate in the morning and afternoon shows before parents flashing cameras.-. A. It a a a a a a the hop a representing 1950s America featured the group singing and clapping As fourth Grade boys in sunglasses combed their hair and girls in poodle skirts whirled on the gymnasium floor. The festival sponsored by the schools Multi culture committee has grown from nine classes participating five years ago to the entire school. Committee chairwoman Dede Brown Johnson said the pro Gram s objective was to express cultural folklore through native dances and costumes incorporating music and physical education skills. A a in be seen some dancing Here today a she said alter the two shows. Quot our theme was a dancing our Way to new lands a and we just danced right out of our  principal Linda Simmons said the festival was More than just dance. A it teaches the kind of skills they need to learn and it makes school fun. School should be fun a she said. A was educators if we could involve children More in fun Type activities within school then the children would not become so  the students used skills Learned in class to design and sew their brightly coloured costumes. Fourth grader Chantyll Bowser 9, said they used the colors of the German Flag in their German dance routine. Others wore Green construction paper grass skirts leis and Flowers in their hair. They made tambourines from red plastic plates and for a the hop a Tennis shoes were transformed into Saddle shoes through the use of Black Felt. Dancers also represented Japan Jamaica Italy the Netherlands and Yugoslavia to mention just a few countries. Kindergarteners Cut and glued Uncle Sam hats and wore red White and Blue to perform a skip to my lou.�?�. A they loved it a teacher Shanna Frederick Cruz said. A they were excited for a whole month a we practice for a whole  Justin Thornton a class performed a German Shoemaker dance which ends when the Shoemaker a skips around because he a Happy. It was  Ricky Brunais 9, was a Hopper. A i enjoyed it and i know All the other kids did  he said he was impressed with the Days a when Guys combed their hair a lot and wore sunglasses and girls wore skirts with poodles.�?�3 Navy reservists find Middle school classes different at Sembach a amps Lynda Davidson reservist Patricia Whitlock helps Curtis Echard 12, with a Home dec project. By Peggy Davidson a Kaiserslautern Bureau. Sembach a Germany a a the Navy has landed at Sembach a. Two receive squadrons from the states were attached to the air forces military Airlift come and sent to Germany in support of operation desert storm transport operations out of Sembach. In their spare time three of the Petty officers with Reserve so vr-57 from san do go Are  the bases Middle school. Petty officer 2nd class Gordon Cool Man is a school teacher in san Diego. Despite his Long hours As an aviation a. Phinist Coalman said he had an a abiding need to share my teaching skills. I can to think of a better Way to spend my spare  Coolman who has taught for 16 years said that he covers any class assists other teachers and provides one on one tutoring. Petty officer 1st class Richard Whitman is a policeman in Al Cajon calif., and a dare drug abuse resistance education officer there. When Sembach a dare officer Learned that Whitman was an experienced officer he asked the Navy to air sign him to the school. A being a Street cop is More exciting to the kids a said Whitman who said he has been involved in drug arrests in his stateside Job. Petty officer. 1st class Patricia whil-., lock who has a degree in Home economics and a minor in English volunteers at least four hours a week at the school. In civilian life Whitlock caters for a  hospitals special stall fun Lions. She noticed some differences Between students in the states Anil youngsters overseas. A a i lie thing i noticed is the amount of respect the students have Here a she said. A they also Wear appropriate apparel. In Las vegas kids come in in Cut Oil shorts anything a Coolman added that Sembach students Are a very resourceful very adaptable to changing situations. That makes teaching much More  i expected them to be naive closed in but they re All up on the terms that Are popular in the states. Whitman said. Then he laughed and added a but they done to always know what they mean a smalltalk Maryon Melvin a first Grade teacher at shape elementary school in Belgium wrote to the stars and stripes with the following classroom Story. \. In an Effort to control the use of foul language Melvin gave the children a phrase to use As a substitute. The phrase of the year is a twang the  but the alternative nonsensical phrase about a musical instrument was altered by a youngster on a snowy Winter Day. The child was running and sliding on ice when he slammed head first right into the building. He yelled a twang the Damn  it you have a slice of classroom Ulfo to share please Send it to Small talk the stars and stripes attn Jimi Jones Apo 09211. Pioneering Summit approves Steps to improve City schools by Sharyn Wizda the Cox news service Washington a stressing the need to build coalitions Between inner City schools and their communities More than 100 educators business leaders and others have endorsed a six step plan to bolster the nations crumbling Urban education system. The goals to be reached by 2000, include a improving academic achievement. A ensuring that students Are ready to learn. A increasing graduation rates. A preparing students for Post secondary school or work. A increasing the number of Quality multiethnic teachers. A making the school a Safe and caring environment. The plan is the result of the first National Urban education Summit held recently in Washington and organized by the Council of the great City schools a group representing school districts in 47 of americans largest cities. A students from Urban school districts will constitute a majority of the entering work Force shortly after the end of this decade a. Said Joseph Fernandez Chancellor of the. New York City Public schools and chairman of the Council s Urban education task Force. A therefore enlisting a Broad Hase of support is crucial if we Are to secure the nations and their   the Council together with officials from organizations such As the National Alliance of business and the children a defense fund will now begin developing specific program recommendations that school systems can use to reach these goals. Keith Geiger president of the National education. Association emphasized the importance of enlisting the help of groups outside the educational Arena to fulfil the plan. He likened the struggle of Urban schools to the civil rights movement of the 1960s