`ACCEPT THE BEST,' KIDS TOLD

Neyland Clark, Cape Girardeau's new superintendent of schools, encouraged a group of students Saturday to accept nothing short of the best from themselves.

About 90 students, parents and educators packed the Cape Girardeau Civic Center for a "Back to School Everyone" program that featured university, school district and civic representatives.

School supplies were distributed to students, whose names were registered for $100 scholarships to be presented at the end of the school year to anyone receiving all "A's" on their report card.

Clark said the 1991-92 school year in Cape Girardeau is going to be the "best ever, because we won't accept anything less.

"Don't accept failure," he said. "Don't accept mediocrity. Don't accept anything less than the very best for yourself."

Clark said that much of the excitement students now feel at the prospect of returning to school could turn to anxiety as the stress of the classroom begins to weigh on children's minds.

"Every year, when everyone begins to talk about starting school again, the students are excited because they're getting back to see their friends that they haven't seen all summer," Clark said.

"But that excitement turns to anxiety as students begin to worry about grades and school work. And the students' sense of great energy at the beginning of the year turns into fatigue. That's normal."

The superintendent said that when students become anxious and fatigued, they should seek help from parents, teachers and counselors.

"The only dumb question is the question that's not asked," he said. "Talk to your teachers and parents, and ask for their help. Don't be afraid to reach your hand up and ask a question."

Clark told the students that everyone in the school district is there for one reason to help students.

"You have a superintendent in Neyland Clark who really does love you and wants to help you," he said. "We're going to mobilize the bureaucratic forces in our community to make your years in Cape Girardeau schools the best they can be."

Clark said that one of the best "success stories" at the end of the school year would be if nine or 10 of the students qualified for the $100 scholarship.

Other speakers at the event included Linda Michel of Southeast Missouri State University's Center for Health and Counseling; Rebecca Cook, a local attorney and member of the Missouri Board of Education; Gene Haenni, a youth specialist for the University of Missouri Extension; Edward Taylor, a youth specialist for Lincoln University Extension; Bernice Coar-Cobb of Southeast's University Studies program; Tom M. Meyer, president of the Washington School PTA; and Calvin Bird, director of the civic center.

The ceremony was sponsored by the Civic Center, the Futrell-Sterling 4-H club and the Cape Girardeau Area chapter of the NAACP.

Taylor said he also would award $100 scholarships at the end of the school year to a boy and girl identified by the 4-H Club as the club's best citizens.

"All of us have different abilities," Taylor said. "Some of us may have greater than others, but all of us have abilities, and you're never a failure until you blame somebody else for your problems.

"People can take away from you the things that you have, but there's one thing no one can take away from you once you have it and that's knowledge."

Haenni encouraged the students to read and told parents to stress the importance of reading to their children.

"Reading for kids at the age we have here is terribly, terribly important," Haenni said. "In other words, it's absolutely critical."

Cook told students that if they begin to have problems in school, they should seek help immediately. She said that hard work is more important and rewarding than intelligence or talent.

"I don't care what you think about how smart you are as a person," Cook said. "That's not nearly as important as the effort you put forward during school and after school.

"Keep working hard. Put forth the effort today, tomorrow and the next day, and in the end it will pay off."

Michel said that since she was a little girl, she's always been excited with the prospect of returning to school in the fall.

"It was always exciting, because it was a new beginning," she said. "Even though I was excited about going back to school, I was a high school dropout. But I went back to school because I realized what it was like to drop out."

Michel encouraged parents to take an active interest in their child~ren's education.

"Parents, you want something better for your kids," she said. "Education is where it starts.

"It's an exciting age that our kids are going to live in, and I hope to God they're prepared for it."