Where boys find success

At Durham Nativity School, inner-city middle-schoolers discover abilities that help them in high school and beyond

In the basement of a church in a less-than desirable area of Durham, about 30 adolescent boys wearing French blue button-down shirts and khaki pants gather for breakfast.

Munching on biscuit sandwiches, the volume gets loud as they bustle and squiggle, but the boys don't get out of control. They appreciate where they are too much to let that happen.

After breakfast, shortly before 8 a.m., the boys move from tables to rows of chairs. One of them readies himself on a small stage behind a podium, while next to him another boy holds an American flag. It's Jaquaccy Brooks' turn to practice his public speaking. The 12-year-old addresses his classmates and teachers, carefully sounding out the morning greeting, sharing the word of the week (irascible) and leading the prayer where he thanks God for good food and a good day.

The group of sixth- through eighth-graders attends Durham Nativity School, the first of its kind in North Carolina and one of only about 40 in the country. It is where young men say "yes, sir" or "no, sir," shake the hands of their teachers before every class, and look people directly in the when they speak. They applaud fellow students af-

ter they answer questions and stand up when they share an answer.

Nativity schools educate inner-city middle-school students by offering an intensely supportive and disciplined environment. Classes are kept small -- no more than 15 students per grade level. School days are longer and highly structured. The first Nativity school was created by the Jesuits in 1971 on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

The Durham school, located at the intersection of Angier Avenue and Driver Street, had its first class of three-year students graduate this spring, and all of them are enrolled in private high schools.

Dr. Joseph Moylan founded the school with his wife, Ann, in 2002, when his surgery career at Duke Hospital began winding down. He was inspired in the mid-1980s when his son helped tutor a Hillside High School student, a senior and star athlete who could not do basic math. The boy later disappeared after being unable to go to college and has not been heard from since.

Moylan, 67, chose the nativity model for its emphasis on community service and academics. Ninety percent of its graduates will finish college. "The model works," Moylan said.

"We want those mid-level kids that are starting to fade out," said Dan Hill, a member of the school's board. The students are screened as fifth-graders and are sought from lower-income families that are willing to commit to the rigorous program. Eighty percent of the boys come from single-parent homes, and 30 percent have one or both parents in prison.

Hallmarks of success

Respect for others and appreciation for education are glaringly evident when these boys talk about their school. "These are the hallmarks of what we're trying to achieve," said Troy Weaver, headmaster.

Weaver has six sons of his own. His oldest son graduated in the first class to attend the school all three years; he has another son in the sixth-grade class. He has witnessed a lot of growth as students make their way from scattered, unruly sixth-graders to mature, centered eighth-graders.

Dominique Graham, 11, is a soft-spoken sixth-grader who is still learning how to put his yellow-and-blue tie on straight. He still looks up from under his brow when making eye contact but is nothing but respectful. "It's wonderful, the teachers here are great," he said.

Marco Reyes, 13, is an eighth grader who is applying to several regional private high schools, plus a boarding school in Asheville. He stands tall, eyes twinkling and offers a strong handshake. He said the teachers are tougher on the sixth-graders, but for good reason. He is now able to joke around more as an upperclassman. "You earn the teachers' respect," he said.