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Parents of top grads have many theories of success
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
"^W" l W s ”"*jnTat can par
%/%/ encourage
W w their children
to do their best in school?
Here are some ideas from a
group of "experts" who
rarely get public exposure
the parents of Valedicto
rians and salutatorians.
What do Rick Coogle,
Casey Spinks, Melissa
Santos and Brandi
Bazemore have in common
besides being in the spot
light this week as the top
students in their graduat
ing classes?
Well, for starters, they all
four loved books from the
time they were toddlers. All
four had parents who read
to them from a very early
age. They also all had par
ents who rewarded them
(usually with cash) for good
report cards through their
elementary school years.
The 1999 valedictorians
and salutatorians found
they were sell motivated by
the time they reached high
school.
In their homes, parents
assumed from the begin
ning that the children were
college bound. Most of all,
though, these honor gradu
ates are children of parents
who seem genuinely to like
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AMONG THE BEST Ken and Sally Bazemore are par
ents of Brandi Bazemore, salutatorian at Westfield.
niddle Georgia
TECHNICAL INSTITUTE^
CONGRATULATIONS,
GRADUATES
OF THE CLASS OF 1999
Keep climbing the
ladder of higher
education!
80 Cohen Walker Drive • Warner Robins, GA 31088
912-988-6850
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Home Journal Photo* by Charlotte Perkin*
REFLECTING ON CHILDREN Perry and Elaine Clayton discuss the success-
High valedictorian and salutatorian par- es oj their children.
ents Tony and Linda Santos and Steve
and respect their children,
and parents who aren’t
taking the credit for their
children’s achievements or
talents. They just found
their own ways of bringing
out the best.
“We lucked up. The Lord
gave us all the materials."
That’s how Tony Santos
puts it. His daughter,
Melissa Santos is the Perry
High School 1999
Salutatorian.
Santos, a native of
Portugal who is a produc
tion coordinator for Wilson
Sporting Goods, said he
thinks it’s important to “set
limits and set examples.”
“The idea of raising a
child by being a friend
won’t work," he said.
Linda Santos added that
Melissa got a boost as a
very young child when she
participated in a language
institute program in
Massachusetts. Melissa
was three or four at the
time.
As a small child. Melissa
Santos had plenty of expo
sure to games, educational
toys and books especial
ly the “I Can Read” books.
Dr. Seuss books, and the
Little Golden Books.
She also benefited, both
parents agree, from the
Perry Elementary School
Gifted Programs.
Casey Spinks,
Valedictorian at Perry High,
.jeceiyed ap introduction to.
4bo(d& and reading at a very:
early age.
“Her grandmother (the
late Helen Cason) should
get much of the credit,”
Spinks’s t mom, Elaine
Clayton, 'said. “She baby
sat with Casey and she
read to her and played
games with her all the
time."
Spinks’s dad, Steve
Clayton, added that once
Casey was in school,
“Homework came first" in
their household.
Spinks got “a dollar for
To the Class of ‘99
We wish you
the best as
you climb
the ladder of
success!
Perry High FI
ToLLesniii
LUMBER COMPANY. INC.
903 Jernigam Street
Perry, GA
each A" when she was in
elementary school. Santos
also receives a financial
reward for good grades.
“Maybe $20," her dad
said, “just to tell her I’m
proud of her."
Brandi Bazemore’s moth
er, Sally Bazemore, said
their daughter, who was
1999 Salutatorian at
Westfield Schools, has
worked hard to achieve
academic success.
“A happy child from the
day she was born," Brandi
has grown up to be being
exceptionally disciplined
and organized.
“She’s determined," Ken
Bazemore said. “She’s a
worker."
A retired dentist with a
wide range of interests. Dr.
Bazemore has made a
point, both with Brandi and
her older brother, Britt, to
encourage goal setting. He
said he has provided finan
cial rewards for good acad
emic achievement.
“We started goal sheets
3n their doors," very early.
e explained. “I wanted
them to set goals and put
them in writing. Most peo
ple don’t have any goals
either short term or long
term."
Rick Coogle’s parents
knew very early that he had
good academic potential.
Rick was reading at three.
His mother, Jacky Coogle,
stayed at home with him
and his younger sister,
Amanda, when they were
little, giving them much
attention, teaching them
games and reading to them.
“The best thing he’s got
going for him is his curios
ity," Coogle’s dad also
named Rick explained.
“He’s always had good con
centration. He even taught
himself to speed-read."
As for discipline, the
Coogles say they made a
rule early that homework
was first as soon as their
children came home from
school. They have also been
firm about bedtimes and
making sure their son and
daughter did not go to
school tired.
The Coogles gave their
children money rewards for
good grades usually just
a dollar for an A from the
start. They found, as the
other parents did also, that
by high school their chil
dren had motivation to
make good grades whether
there was a reward.
Television watching has
not posed a real problem
for any of these parents.
Their children are Just too
busy to take much interest
in television. All four do
enjoy computers and make
good use of them.
Brandi Bazemore. who is
considering public rela
tions as a career, has had
hers since ninth grade and
taught herself to type fol
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PARENTS OF VALEDICTORIAN Jacky and Rick
Coogle oj Byron are parents oj Westfield Valedictorian
Rick Coogle.
HATS OFF TO THE CLASS OF '99
‘We zvish the very best to tfie graduates of
(Perry Fhtigfi School and Westfield Schools!
MiM's]
ITALIAN
I (garden cafe )
Wed., June 2, 1999, Htmr Journal -
lowing a computer instruc
tional program.
Rick Coogle has devel
oped his own web page and
hopes to have a career as a
computer engineer.
Of the four, three have
had part time jobs.
Bazemore has worked for
several years at Pearson.
Farms; Spinks works in the
Houston County District
Attorney’s Office, and
Santos works for the Perry
Recreation Department.
"It's important that they
work," Tony Santos said.
“That they taste life. It’s not
just the money. It’s being
there on time, taking
responsibility."
The Coogles have taken
another approach, deciding
they’d rather their son ana
daughter not work, but
keep their main focus on
school.
In all four cases, expec
tations have been high, and
the young people have met
and surpassed their par
ents’ goals for them.
“I’m just overwhelmed by
how proud I am," Spinks’s
mom said. 'Not Just of her
grades, but of who she is."
“It’s a dream come true
for a parent," JTony Santos
added. "It makes your
heart smile a lot."
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