People
Rock On

The halls are alive with the sound of music at Moore Elementary School in Clarksville, Tennessee, thanks to the generosity of music teacher Charlie Winkler.

Last summer, Winkler sold his original 1959 Fender Stratocaster®, the same type of guitar used by rock legends Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, for $6,000. He used the money to purchase 32 half-size guitars and a public address system for Moore's music program.

"I had played that guitar all of my life, and I wanted to put it to good use," Winkler says. Before becoming a teacher, Winkler jammed with the 1960s girl group Martha and the Vandellas and two local bands, The Three Pixies and The Last Train.

Now, students in grades one through five can follow in Winkler's footsteps. Students will have the opportunity to play the guitars once each week and even learn a few riffs to their favorite songs. Winkler hopes this new component of the music program, which also includes lessons on music theory, sight reading, and the history of rock 'n' roll, will help students improve their reading and math skills as well.

"I hope my students will take this knowledge with them for the rest of their lives and gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for what goes into music," he says.

--Leah Lakins

Sweet Success

Paraprofessional David Hurley and the students at East Belfast Elementary School in Belfast, Maine, know all about sticky situations. When Hurley decided to build an entry for the city's Bearfest auction completely out of gummy bears, he had no idea how popular the sticky delight would become.

"Kids were intrigued by the idea of the project, and some of them were just thrilled to be around candy," Hurley says.

Hurley entered the annual event, which raises money for various local charities and organizations, to inspire togetherness throughout the school. He received grants from local merchants to purchase materials to build the bear and cover it with tons of gummy treats. Then Hurley, also known as the "gummy bear guy," let students apply the gummy bears onto a fiberglass bear coated with wet, sticky caulking.

Six weeks and more than 10,000 chewy treats later, the children and staff had created a five-and-a-half-foot gummy bear--all covered with several layers of marine epoxy.

The giant gummy bear earned $950 at the Bearfest auction and enjoyed a window display at a local candy store. Half the proceeds from the auction will go toward a new playground for the school.

"I hope this project has inspired my kids to be creative and learn to communicate themselves in various ways," Hurley says of the sweet creation.

--Leah Lakins

A Little Inspiration

Helping people comes naturally to Amy Dunaway-Haney, a Spanish teacher at Kettering Fairmont High School in Dayton, Ohio. When she isn't sponsoring one of the school clubs or providing weekend community counseling, she finds innovative ways to get her students excited about learning and volunteering.

In September, the Muscular Dystrophy Association awarded Dunaway-Haney the 2003 National Personal Achievement Award for her community service efforts--efforts that her students have emulated.

Dunaway-Haney can recall hundreds of moments in her 11-year career when her students volunteered their time to help others. Often, the acts are simple. Students collect homework during class and staple worksheets for Dunaway-Haney, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age eight and uses a wheelchair in her classroom.

She also has inspired many students to volunteer as counselors at the MDA summer camp. As a child and teen, Dunaway-Haney spent her own summers at the camp swimming, riding horses, and performing other physical activities she had trouble doing on her own without the adapted facilities the camp offers.

Many of her student volunteers since have chosen careers that help the community. Her class roster includes a police officer, a nurse in a head trauma unit, an occupational therapist, and even a genetic engineer seeking a cure for muscular dystrophy.

"I don't have children of my own," Dunaway-Haney says. "But this is how parents must feel when their kids go off and do something wonderful in the world."

--Mary M. Kershaw

Celebrating Black History

NEA-Retired member Shirley Pitts helps spread the word about Black history as director of the Black History Tour Group, a program she founded as an active teacher at Jackson High School (Michigan) that has become a major focus of her life in retirement.

"This program has really blossomed since we began in 1994," says Pitts. "Everybody is just floored by what these kids are doing."

What they do is teach about Black history and culture through songs, skits, poems, and dramatic readings. About 30 students comprise the group, which performs regularly at schools, nursing homes, and other venues.

To join the tour group, students must provide character references, maintain their grades, and agree to serve as role models in the community and school. Some students even perform with the group on breaks from college.

"The kids don't want to leave the group," Pitts says. "The program has really made them aware of their culture and given them a sense of dignity and self-esteem."

The Michigan Education Association awarded the group $1,000 and recognized it as one of seven exemplary programs. The group has performed at the White House, at the 2001 Presidential Inauguration, and for the governor of Michigan. The group also has appeared in a TV commercial and in a picture on the sides of Jackson city buses along with the slogan, "Racism is out. Diversity is in."

--John O'Neil

Going the Distance

When Jeanette Marquardt announced that she planned to run 26.2 miles in Negril, Jamaica, to raise money for the American Stroke Association, her friends and family members thought she was crazy. Or at least, not being serious. But Marquardt, an administrative receptionist for the Northshore school district near Seattle, Washington, was more than serious. She was dedicated to supporting a cause that had touched her personally.

"I am doing the marathon in honor of my mother, who has had several strokes," Marquardt says. "I am excited about running this marathon on behalf of the many people who couldn't even walk it."

Marquardt began training for the December 7 run back in July, after receiving information about the marathon in the mail. Her regimen included running and lifting weights six days a week and weekly training sessions with a team of other marathon participants.

The $4,600 she raised to participate in the run will help fund research, advocacy, and education programs sponsored by the American Stroke Association. Friends, fellow education support professionals, and other co-workers donated most of the money.

"My hope is that the American Stroke Association will be able to find ways that permit my mother and many others to lead better lives," she says.

--Irene Arce

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Contact Kristen Loschert, section editor, at kloschert@nea.org.