European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday january 20, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 9 Dodds pupils get close up look by Jimi Jones a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a is a some May have t education writer a life As King did that 4a la it a m Al n Tunt mat Gnu an u a k a m a a. A 4 la a a1 a m Are to a m t education i i Xiii by Jimi Jones education writer propose to Deborah Edmonds that perhaps her second graders Are a bit too Young to appreciate the concept of the Rev. Martin Luther King dream and she will quickly Tell you that you Are wrong. A fall year Long they have been learning How to treat other people about feelings and right and wrong a said the schoolteacher at Hahn elementary school. A when i introduce the film and Tell them he was famous because he wanted to change Laws that were unfair they last week classes throughout the department of defense dependents schools honoured the history making Leader whose hard earned victories changed race relations in the United states. King was shot by a sniper on april 4, 1968, after a More than a decade Long non violent fight for equal rights. Confessed killer James Earl Ray is currently serving a 99-year sentence for the murder. Edmonds said she uses excerpts from Kings life and proposes unfair examples in the lives of her 7-year-Olds. This will a stress that just because you re different that does no to mean that you done to have As much right to do what you want and go where you want As anyone else a she said. The second graders put on their annual acrostic performance at the base Chapel Friday. The huge letters of the alphabet they held spelled out Kings name starting with dr., and the two line verses highlighted his life. The letters began Quot a is a dream which a Man once had. He followed in peace the footsteps of his dad. A or is for Robe of a preacher he wore like his Grandfather and father before. A pm is for Martin his last name was King. He believed in Freedom above everything. A a is for Atlanta his City of birth. He grew up to be a my children Are really listening and responding even to harder terms like segregation and Boycott teacher Caroline Haberer Man of great today is a Federal Holiday in Honor of Kings birthday. After a nearly 15-year Battle to have Kings birthday recognized As a National Holiday former president Reagan established the Holiday on the third monday in january beginning in 1986. Kings actual birthday was Jan. 15. Teachers say the civil rights movement May have been before their pupils time but the youngsters must learn about racial oppression. The children can relate to discrimination when Edmonds proposes that All the Brown eyed children will receive Homework and the others wont or that All Blond haired children will get pillows for Reading time but the rest wont she said. A i have some serious children a Edmonds said a who Are Quick to pick up on and Point out such history lessons Are important she tells them because they a can prevent it from happening at Patch High school Ann Mckenzie said it is important that her students studying Black history realize that King was a not always a Man and civil rights Leader but he was also a boy who emerged because he the students a know where they aspire to go but not what life has in store for her message to them is a some May have the potential to take on a role in life As King did that will have an Impact on at the elementary school and checkpoint no club in Berlin Community members can read Short pledges of equal treatment from each of the schools More than 1,000 pupils. Peggy Taylor said each teacher in Berlin goes to great lengths to make sure children understand Kings quest by giving examples and stressing his struggle a not just for african americans but for All at Haine Berg Lucy Henry a fourth Grade class performed a Short play titled a special Day for a special Man. In a classroom setting children responded to questions sharing information that detailed Kings life. During the play one child mouthed Kings j have a dream speech using a tape of Kings voice. At the conclusion of the program children threw up confetti in Celebration of the birthday. A fall the kids love to talk about or. King a Henry said. Quot sometimes when Black history month comes you have to let them know that or. King is not the Only person who made great at Mannheim elementary school Caroline Haber Eros fourth and fifth Grade learning impaired pupils prepared a soul food luncheon honouring King. The children prepared invitations cooked a meal and presented a program with songs and messages about his life Haberer said. They cooked Ham blackened peas turnip greens Corn bread and peach Cobbler and invited special guests. A my children Are really listening and responding a Haberer said a even to harder terms like segregation and Boycott. We be talked about Boycotts and when to use them. We be talked about non violence and Why in school we try to discourage people from using violent Means. A they have pledged to keep or. Kings dream alive by non violence and work toward contract teachers losing Germany jobs by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau Pir Masens Germany a sue Cebu la began her first teaching Job instructing kindergarteners in Pir Masens. Like Many other teachers hired on Short term contracts she expected that contract to be extended until the end of the school year. It Wasny to. When she was informed that her contract would not be extended past the Jan. 24 expiration Date Cebula said she a cried for Days. It was the Pir Masens schools Are losing 4.5 teachers. Cebula is the .5 since she teaches the half Day kindergarten class. In the Kaiserslautern districts 17 schools 7.5 teachers with Short term contracts will be taken completely Cebula off the Rolls said Candace Ransing District superintendent. Five of those teachers have been added to the roster As substitutes. The department of defense dependents schools Germany Region will Lay off about 85 teachers As it eliminates 170 positions. Many of the positions Are vacant because some teachers already have left. The layoffs Are in response to the continuing draw Down of . Forces in Europe. School enrolment in Germany has dropped by about 20,000 students a Down from 90,000 to 71,000. Teachers and parents have complained about cutting teachers Midway through the school year. They complain that combining classes and changing teachers would better serve children if they occurred at the end of the school year. Some say that breaking the Bond Between Small children and their teachers can set Back youngsters education significantly. John Stremple the school systems i Dodds teacher Lynne Costigan worries about How her pupils will handle her leaving Midway through the school year. Rector said last month that he did no to expect the Quality of education to diminish with the downsizing. Ransing said that a at the end of the last school year we had brought Back most of the contract teachers. I done to have the exact figures but this year we re losing More. A Cebula worries about a my kids and added a i feel like in be let them Down. Its hard to explain to a 5-year-old that because of the draw Down i can to be your Lynne Costigan teaches learning impaired students from kindergarten to third Grade. She too worries about How her students will handle the loss of a teacher they had begun to Trust and respond to. A it takes a while with my learning impaired kids to build a rapport a Costigan said. The students in Cebular a and Costigan a classes will be divided among the remaining teachers As will the students of other departing teachers. Both women have already been accepted As substitute teachers at the school after their contracts expire. Being a substitute though has other drawbacks the teachers said. A subbing Isnit a guaranteed paycheck a Cebula said. She and her husband a sergeant first class assigned to the 59th Ord brigade have a daughter who just started College in the states. Costigan said that she and her husband can live on his second lieutenants paycheck but a i wanted to go Back for my masters degree and i done to want to without a steady paycheck from teaching borrowing May be their Only option. A cml Jones in Darmstadt. Germany contributed to Tali report
