Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chamber auction scheduled; Roe talks of summer work

Anita Cabe announced at Rotary on Thursday, July 24, a tentative date had been set for the Gurdon Chamber of Commerce Auction.

This year the auction will be held a little later, on September 30.

Cabe asked Rotary members to think of something for the Rotary Club to donate or to think of something to donate individually.

"We had a good time at last year's auction. I think we will again this year. We are hoping for another good turnout," said Cabe.

Gurdon School Superintendent Bobby Smithson presented last week's program. He invited Gurdon Primary School Principal Rita Roe to address the club about the programs taking place at the primary school to help upcoming kindergartners.

Roe said, "You have all heard the joke about the professor who says children aren't learning enough in high school and the high school teacher complaining about the middle school education and the middle school blaming elementary and elementary blaming pre-school and pre-school blaming the parents and then the mother turns and blames the father. Well, that is usually how it goes, however, my philosophy is and always will be.

"It doesn't matter how much time or money you spend on children they are not going to turn out the same. Children who are brother and sister can have the difference of daylight and dark in them. Children just develop differently and we try to accommodate all the many different types of children so they can develop themselves."

Roe said she was proud of her two children.

"I have to brag for just a minute. I am proud of my two children. Carrie is in Huttig now. She carries the title of Assistant Principal, and it the director of Title One and Special Education."

"Bryan is in Montana and operates his own veterinarian clinic. When Bryan graduated from high school he was asked to come to Ouachita Baptist University. They planned to red shirt him as a freshman on the football team and depending on his play he could possibly have a spot and scholarships on the next school year. Bryan told me he planned on being a vet. I checked around and Louisiana Tech seemed to have the best vet program. I told Bryan if he wanted to go there we would glad to send him. I was worried at first about how he would do so far away and at such a large facility.

"However, he was prepared and he kept a 4.0 throughout his time there.

"What I am trying to say is I am proud of the education my children received at Gurdon schools. I know it helped them to get where they are today."

Roe said she and kindergarten teacher Martha Thomas had been attending workshops to help develop a pilot test for upcoming kindergartners to see what level they are at. Roe said 36 schools in Arkansas will be taking the test to see what kind of results come from it. GPS is one of the schools taking the test.

Roe also said she isn't against having a four-year-old program started at the primary school, although she knows there would have to be facilities built especially for them.

Roe expounded on the two-week Jump Start program held in the spring for children coming into kindergarten this fall.

"We sent in a grant to the Louis and Mary Cabe Foundation to receive money to hold such a program. We felt the program would help children and parents to be more prepared for what was to come this fall," said Roe.

The children went to class each day as they would normally and had recess and lunch at the school.

"I never saw one child cry or ask to go home. I didn't see any of the parents cry either. You know we see a lot of tears on the first day of school usually," said Roe.

Roe presented a slide show to the club, showing the events that took place during the Jump Start Program.

Roe also encouraged Gurdon's Rotary Club to allow each member to adopt a classroom.

"If a classroom is adopted, the member can attend parties on holidays, drop in and read the class a book, or anything they feel is appropriate for the class. I have seen the Rotary Club in Arkadelphia do this for it's primary children and it seemed like such a nice program," said Roe.