Windsor Hill boys follow a new beat
Drumming program teaches leadership, character lessons
By Mindy Hagen
The Post and Courier
Brothers Trevaughn Isom (left) and Jameroquan Isom (center) share a moment Friday as they play the SOAR Rap, a song written by a third-grade teacher at Windsor Hill Elementary School. The fourth- and fifth-grade boys known as the Beaux Hawks drum several days a week to focus on making good choices.
The Post and Courier
Michael Hathaway, a member of Windsor Hill Elementary's Beaux Hawks, plays drums Friday during the first class of the day. The group of fourth and fifth-grade boys gets together each morning to learn life lessons through drumming and teamwork.
Video
BEAUX Hawks-African drum team
The Windsor Hill Elementary BEAUX Hawks (Boys Empowered to Achieve the Ultimate in Excellence) meet for 30 minutes at the start of each school day. They playing African drums to pump themselves up for the school day ahead.
Trevaughn Isom is drumming up a newfound enthusiasm for school as he follows an invigorating rhythm each morning at Windsor Hill Elementary.
He's one of 30 boys in the fourth and fifth grades who start the school day learning about leadership and character. While the program preaches the importance of making the right choices, it also grabs the boys' attention with an upbeat, instrumental element.
Several mornings each week, Windsor Hill's Beaux Hawks group gets pumped up for the school day by playing African drums, shaking maracas and ringing bells.
Boys like Trevaughn take pride in being a part of the cohesive boom-ba-ba-boom echoing through the school's hallways at 7:30 a.m.
The group perform for the school's younger students, all of whom marvel at their skill and ask how they can become Beaux Hawks one day.
Recently they were practicing for the North Charleston Arts Festival, where they will share their drumming prowess with the community at Sunday's finale.
Six months ago, Trevaughn was a world away from being viewed as a school role model or talented musician. The fifth-grader wasn't taking his academics seriously and described his own behavior as "horrible." Without the Beaux Hawks, Trevaughn said he could have been on track for expulsion.
"I got in trouble for talking back to the teachers," he said. "But now, I'm not getting in trouble very much. My grades are
going up. This group has helped me a lot."
School officials, including Principal Mary Davies and former assistant principal Rene Harris, wanted to develop a program to reach at-risk boys like Trevaughn who were struggling with academics or discipline and needed an extra push. The idea for a music-based group was born when music teacher Jen Mazell heard about a program that focused on incorporating drums with different daily lessons that highlight key words like respect and leadership.
The school's administration worked with teachers to select the initial 30 fourth- and fifth-grade boys they felt could benefit from the program.
Davies said she's seen a drastic decrease in the number of office discipline referrals from Beaux Hawks boys, and the students' academic scores on diagnostic tests have jumped as well.
"The boys keep an eye on each other," Davies said. "There's peer pressure to do a good job. They feel like they are a club or a family, and you can just see the pride on their faces."
While Mazell handles the musical lessons, Darryl Tucker, who works with the school's special education students, oversees the boys' character development.
Tucker organizes "Dress for Success" on Mondays, where the boys dress up and listen to guest speakers like jazz musicians and business owners. He also has instituted a system in which group members must get their teachers to sign a form every afternoon indicating whether they behaved in class. Boys who don't get the daily signatures know not to show up for Beaux Hawks the next morning, and boys who get two discipline referrals are kicked out of the group for good.
"If you don't do better, you don't come," fifth-grade Beaux Hawks member Darrison Hayes said.
Since the group's start, more than 10 boys who haven't adhered to the behavioral rules have been replaced by new members more willing to follow the instructions. Tucker said he doesn't have much sympathy for the group's former members.
"I'm all about tough love," he said. "We set a standard here, and the boys know what's expected. Some of them really get what we are trying to do here, and for them, it's made a world of difference."
Current Beaux Hawks members said the early morning drum sessions start their school days on a high note.
Jesse Cruz said he has energy for math and social studies when he returns to his regular classroom and that he enjoys having special privileges around the school that make other students jealous.
"The girls keep saying they want their own Girls Hawks drumming group," Jesse said.
One morning last week, Mazell led the boys in communicating an African folk tale through the sounds of their drums. Animals like lions, elephants and gazelles were portrayed by distinct rhythms. As the session ended, the boys turned their attention to the front of the room, where Tucker wrote the name of one boy on the board. That boy, who had demonstrated top-notch behavior, would become head of the class the next day and receive the honor of playing the djembe "leader" drum.
Trevaughn grinned when he saw his name and high-fived some of his friends. The next morning would be his first time with the djembe drum.
"It feels really, really, really good to be a leader," he said.
See them live
The drumming group at Windsor Hill Elementary is named the Beaux Hawks. Beaux stands for "Boys Empowered to Achieve the Ultimate in eXcellence." Hawks refers to the school's mascot.
The group will perform along with other performing arts students from Dorchester District 2's Windsor Hill at the North Charleston Arts Festival's grand finale Sunday at Riverfront Park. The free event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature performances, concerts and fireworks.
The North Charleston Arts Festival, which runs all week, includes an array of free and ticketed events throughout the city: plays, concerts, storytelling, workshops, exhibits, street parties and more.
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Comments
gococks1985 (anonymous) says...
I'm not supposing that they have put a plan in action for the "low risk" girls have they?
May 5, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chuloya (anonymous) says...
I think that Windsor Hill has a wonderful program for the boys. There is also a wonderful program for the girls. Way to go, WHES!
May 5, 2008 at 8:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Yeah, Early, I know what you mean. We worked unless it was recess. Maybe this time is recess time. But on the other hand, I know that the schools have to change from what they are now to be successful. Bravo for trying, and time will tell.
May 5, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TonyaC (anonymous) says...
Great job to this school for recognizing the need for change. There are times when the "traditional" way of doing things have to be tweeked to fit both the times and the individuals. Everyone learns in different ways. If this is there way, and it works... Then JOB WELL DONE. If this doesn't work, then try something else. The most important thing to do is to try. We can't give up on our children. It's obvious that we were much different 20 to 30 years back. But, just as we were taught differently than our grandparents, these children are now being afforded the same change. And with that, a chance!
May 5, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
early: dang man! LOLOLOL
Please get a cup of your favorite morning beverage, step outside and get a breath of fresh air, come back to the keyboard and start fresh.
You're being extremely negative this morning. Even for you!
Seems like this program is for 30 minutes several days a week. It's probably considered a 'special area' class that is already incorporated into the curriculum. You do remember special area don't you? i.e. art, music, p.e.
I highly doubt with the pressures of accountability looming over the principal's head that she would allow such a class to take the place of core academic courses. In fact as the article stated, the students who are involved with this program are improving behaviorally and academically. So instead of these boys going to art class and painting watercolors (as mandated by law) another type of 'special area' has been implemented in order to get these kids motivated to do well in school.
This seems no different than the sports programs that some of you naysayers out there probably wouldn't have a problem with.
Wow! And I thought I was having a bad day!
May 5, 2008 at 8:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
summerville_guy (anonymous) says...
Good job on the part of the school administration. They are doing what it takes to reach the kids.
However, on the part of the students, it really struck me as stupid that the one kid said his behavior was horrible until they let him beat on a drum. I never exhibited horrible behavior in school, and I didn't have a drum to beat on. Obviously these kids must have some deep-seated issues.
May 5, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
summervilleguy: he's a 10 year old boy. he's not exactly sophisticated enough to truly articulate his former behavioral issues. please cut him some slack.
and if you think this is just about beating on some drums, you are mistaken. this is about positive reinforcement, positive peer pressure. the rules are stringent for participation and the bar of expectations is high. Having to work hard to meet it is building character, camaraderie, team work and self esteem. All of which if, this young boy and the others like him, were getting at home they wouldn't need a program like this.
Just because a child 'acts out/up' in school doesn't necessarily means that they have 'deep-seated issues'. Sometimes it just means that a kid needs positive attention and someone or something to help them go in the right direction.
Perhaps there are/were boys in this group that did have some 'deep-seated issues'. For the most part Mr. Tucker has addressed those issues by barring students who refuse to adhere to the rules. For the rest, it's obvious by the academic and behavioral improvements that this program is working.
May 5, 2008 at 9:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
summerville_guy (anonymous) says...
eyfigueroa, I understand where you are coming from. And like I said before, I think the school is doing a good job with this program. From what the article says, this program is working.
However, if a 10-year-old boy can admit that his behavior was "horrible," and has to have a program like this in order to get him to act decently in school, where is he really going to go with his life unless he changes that whole outlook? What is going to happen when he gets to middle school and no longer has a drum to beat on - is he going to beat on other kids since he seems to think that this program is the only thing keeping him from horrible behavior?
If this program truly changes his outlook on school and instills a respect in him that will stick with him the rest of his life, then it will be a wonderful thing. Forgive me for being a bit skeptical, however, if he has lived 10 years and nobody has taught him to be respectful until this program came around. I hope my speculation is unfounded and he becomes a model student for the rest of his educational career, along with the other boys in the program.
May 5, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
summervilleguy: all anyone can do is hope. I for one would rather give a child an opportunity to change than just throw him away. Some of the children who could not conform were permanently removed from the program. They were given a chance and did not or could not reach the bar of expectation.
Sometimes it can only take a little bit to make a great change in a child's life. If only one boy out of this program does well and goes on to becoming a productive member of society, then that would be one less boy who ends up in the 'system'.
May 5, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
summerville_guy (anonymous) says...
eyfigueroa, I agree. I hope the program, and the kids in it, do well.
May 5, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Test2007 (anonymous) says...
I saw that someone mentioned the "traditional" way of doing things and I would like to add that while academics are very important, not every child is college material. Right now the curriculum in schools are based on a one size fits all theory. Not everyone learns the same way. Some kids do horribly in school not because they are dumb but because they would rather make something then sit in a class. I know kids who hated school in a traditional sense but I bet your buns they could fix a car, put a computer together, or weld. I wish schools emphasized that more. They have some vocational training and tech prep classes but those are offered in high school.
I do applaud this program though.
May 5, 2008 at 11:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Girleygirl (anonymous) says...
Ey & Test I also agree with you all on this issue!
Kudos to the educators and the students!
May 5, 2008 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
Much better to start the day beating on drums than on fellow students. Get that anger and aggression out first thing in the morning, boys!
So what do the young ladies get to do? Beat on the boys? Ha!
May 5, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gococks1985 (anonymous) says...
Lowcountry...your comment was really uncalled for and not necessary. It shows your ummm...true colors should I say!!
May 5, 2008 at 5:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LadyTarHeel (anonymous) says...
Very interesting program. I think it's pretty awesome as long as it doesn't detract from school time as others have stated. My brother was the same way though. He behaved so much better after my parents bought him a drum set when he was 9. He would bang on it before we went to school and you could see an obvious change in his behavior. He is currently a Music Education major in college and percussion is his passion. Maybe this will give them other occupational options for their futures. Who knows?
May 5, 2008 at 7:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
StateUrName (anonymous) says...
The only thing about the old way of school was that there was discipline in it, but it was boring and dry. We know today that people learn in different styles and old school was very limited in who it taught too which was an assembly line mentality which helped no one. Do we throw away the knowledge of what we have learned about learning to appease those who think the old way was better. For a few it was, but for a large majority it was not. We talk about yesteryears schools in a manner in which they were great and they weren't. They were okay. Look at South Carolina, a lot of the men could not enter the military during World War II because they were not educated well. After the war, South Carolina put a little more money in the pot, but not much more. They were still educating lent heads and farmers. There was no need for much education. We didn't put the microscope on the schools of the past like we do today because in the past you could get by with a third grade education. How many kids quit school to go work on the farm, in the mills, in the mines, or just anywhere so the family could live and there families did not see the value of an education. I bet that South Carolina has always had a high drop out rate. Education did not become important to this country until Sputnik. The pressure is on today because we know to make it in this world. You have to be educated, college or tech. Early do you get mad at how much money is spent on football, basketball, baseball, huge sports stadiums or events, and bridges that lead to no where. Or do you just support the part of the government in which you benefit from directly. We do not judge a civilization by what kind of athletes they were, but by the arts they left. A culture is viewed as uncivilized if they had no artist. We need to be educating well rounded individuals. We need to work the body and the mind and not just part of the mind and if this program gets these boys attention, then let them have it because they will bring that good attitude to class. The article stated that there learning has improved.
May 5, 2008 at 7:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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