THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701230124
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BARBARA J. WOERNER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 67 lines
Jonathan Moots, sixth-grade student at Kemps Landing Magnet School, couldn't wait to shake hands with Edward E. Brickell, president of Eastern Virginia Medical School.
As other students filed out of the auditorium after a school assembly in which Brickell had spoken, Jonathan waited in the hall outside and could barely contain his excitement.
``I just had to meet him because I'm thinking of becoming a doctor,'' said Jonathan, 11. ``I'm really interested in how this is going to affect my school.''
This was the ceremony students had just attended cementing a partnership between the medical school in Norfolk and Virginia Beach's middle school for gifted students. Results of the partnership could include opportunities to tour the medical school, to see teachers, doctors and medical students in action, to use the EVMS library.
Jonathan was not the only one excited about the new relationship. At a reception after the assembly, students lined up and grouped around Brickell, asking about medical school and the possible dates that they could tour it.
Other students crowded around tables where they talked at length with Laynee Timlin, partnership coordinator for Virginia Beach schools, and Norm Benwitz, coordinator of the Ocean Lakes Math/Science Magnet School. Timlin presented a Partners in Excellence plaque to both Brickell and Kemps Landing Principal Hazel Jessee during the ceremony.
``It's good for me to have this kind of perspective,'' said Timlin as she talked with a group of students. ``I gain some of my best information this way. They often come up with things that adults haven't thought of.''
Several students told the administrators they are thinking seriously about becoming doctors.
Seventh-grader Meaghan Walsh was one.
``I want to be a pediatrician,'' she said. ``I did a research paper on it last year and I've been thinking about it ever since.''
Timlin suggested that the new partnership might allow the opportunity to ``shadow'' a pediatrician.
Stephanie Thompson, also a seventh-grader, admitted that she had not yet made up her mind between wanting to become a doctor or a marine biologist. ``For us this will mean more speakers and field trips,'' she said. ``It will be a good opportunity for me to observe and see if that's what I want to do.''
Jessee, who was made an honorary member of the EVMS staff by Brickell during the ceremony, said a whole new realm of possibilities now exists for Kemps Landing students.
``We're going to be the biggest recipient of this partnership,'' she said. ``When I think of the potential of all the things that we will be able to do for our faculty and students, it just seems so incredible.''
Plans are already in the works for a field trip to the medical school next week. There are still many details to be ironed out by Jessee, Pam Ellis, Partner In Excellence coordinator for Kemps Landing, Shelia Sands, director of public affairs for EVMS, and others.
``After 45 years of experience in education I know a little bit about what kind of students are in this school,'' said Brickell, who is the former superintendent of Virginia Beach city schools. ``There is something about the atmosphere of a good school - you can sense it as you walk in the building.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by BARBARA WOERNER
Sixth-grader Jonathan Moots chats with Kemps Landing Principal Hazel
Jessee and Edward E. Brickell, president of Eastern Virginia Medical
School. The schools are connected through the Partners in Excellence
program.