Rotarian Dyteya Lewis (r) visits with Dr. Peter Fraser and Aimee Phillips
 
The program: At our January 17 Rotary lunch meeting Park Place School was highlighted Dr. Pete Fraser, board chair, and Aimee Phillips, school principal. Since 1999 the private Norfolk school housed in a church building on 35th and Colonial has worked with what Fraser calls “fragile members of a fragile population” -- struggling students in grades 2 through 5 from lower-income families. Many are referred from nearby James Monroe Elementary School.
 
Pete is an English professor and senior associate dean in the Regent University College of Arts and Sciences. He previously lived in Milwaukee where he was involved in a Lutheran school that welcomed struggling students from low-income families. “I saw tremendous change,” Pete said of the power of education. “The crime rate went down. Young people went to college and came back to teach.”
He has the same hope for Park Place School, which teaches elementary students reading, phonics, spelling, writing and math. Each class has 10 to 12 students. Assessments help pinpoint students’ weak areas and chart their progress. Students also learn to play the violin with instruction from the Academy of Music. An art therapist teaches visual art, and students have computer classes. Volunteers help provide additional academic support. Students are taught through a Christian world view.
 
Aimee, a former administrator at Norfolk Christian Schools, calls her work at Park Place School the highlight of her 25-year career in education.  She is proud of school partnerships with the National Institute for Learning Development, Park Place Ministry, Park Place Child Life Center and area universities such as Eastern Virginia Medical School, Old Dominion University and Regent University.
Funding for Park Place School comes from neighborhood assistance tax credits, donations and an endowment. The school is planning to add a sixth grade with hopes of expanding to additional grades.
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The meeting: President-elect Gary Boswick filled in for President Bryce Burton at our meeting.  Bob Heely and Frank Whitman led us in singing the Four-Way Test and Let There Be Peace on Earth. Barry Kesser gave a thoughtful invocation.
 
Guests: Craig Reilly of Waypoint Advisors and Marilyn Gowen, a Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters physician.
 
Visitation report: Bob Powell let us know that Jack Kavanaugh is doing better after surgery and should be released from health care soon. Jean Owens was venturing out of her home with her arm in a cast. Walt Grandy is doing well and still enjoying lunch outings to Citrus, his favorite restaurant. Dr. Steve Jones recovered from eye surgery and was at our meeting.  Roger Flagg sounds upbeat despite being housebound with his wife Nancy since neither drive. They have been married 62 years. 
 
Highlight: Dr. Diane Wallach was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow for her generous support of the Rotary Foundation.
 
Upcoming outings: Marty Raiss highlighted planned outings that include a behind-the-scenes tour of Virginia Opera, lunch at the Virginia Club and visits to the E3 School, Operation Smile, the Tidewater Community College Visual Arts Center and LifeNet Health. Details are on our website.
 
Announcements:
·      Jan. 27 is the deadline for nonprofits to apply for Norfolk Rotary Charities grants. The application is on our club website. Please share with your favorite area nonprofits so they can apply for funding.
·      Suds & Buds tickets are available now.  Lorna Cochrane, event co-chair, let us know the ticket link is on the sudsandbuds.org website. The annual spring party is set for Friday, May 19 at Norfolk Botanical Garden and will benefit the garden, our club and Project Healing Waters. McGuire Woods LLP is our first official sponsor. Anthony Mia and Jim O’Brien are heading the sponsorship team and will appreciate help in securing more sponsors. The Suds & Buds committee will meet next Tuesday.
·      Our Rotary board will meet Monday, Jan. 23, at 4:30 p.m. at Kaufman & Canoles. The meeting was delayed because of snow.     
 
Congratulations and fines: Our Norfolk Rotary Charities coffers benefitted from the following Rotarians and their announcements:
·      Bill Eisenbeiss talked up the array of evening classes for adults being offered this winter at St. Patrick Catholic School. Our own Bill Davis is among the instructors. Proceeds benefit the school’s scholarship program.
·      Sharon Laderberg of the Susan G. Komen Foundation reminded us about the Pink in the Rink hockey game coming up.
·      Bob Ash and his wife Mary Lewis are celebrating their 48th wedding anniversary.
·      Julie Keesling is happy about the packers win.
·      Jay Kossman is pleased that he was able to be at our meeting after having surgery last week.
·      Susan Donn is looking forward to getting a new hip and getting back to ballroom dancing. She thanks Linwood Beckner for checking out her surgeon first and Gus Stuhlreyer for his company putting germ-fighting surfaces in the hospital where she will be.
·      Michael Desplaines talked up the upcoming Norfolk Botanical Garden trip to Florida and invited people to attend an information session.
·      Dr. Steve Jones appreciated all the kind words while he was out for eye surgery and thanks Bob Powell for checking up on him each week.
·      Rick Coradi thinks we should start fining for joint replacements since members have more of them than new cars.
·      Ann Baldwin is happy that a Rotary outing took her to the E3 School where her 2-year-old granddaughter is now happily enrolled.
·      Michelle Nettles just learned that the house in Chesapeake she decorated this fall was named the best Houzz.com home for 2017.