Good Afternoon, everyone! Here’s hoping that all Our Moms in the club had a very nice Mother’s Day! As our neighbor, Vic, remarked, “Never has there been such a weekend, when all four seasons took place!” Indeed, it has been weird weather lately, but our commitment to “being together” each week, as Rotarians, has been steadfast!

We were pleased to have Past President, John French, lead our online meeting today, as President Tom could not be with us. John led us in saying The Pledge. There was no “formal” song that was sung today, by the membership, but I am sure that each of us had a song in our heart, that spoke of thanks for all our blessings. Patrice gave the Blessing, asking The Lord in this “Season of Promise”, to renew in our hearts a spirit of growth, as well. Today’s guests included Nicole Green, (today’s speaker), Linda Kohl, and Jill Walther, Honorary Member. There were 19 members present, as well. We suspect that there could have been more members who would have been able to participate, but they might have encountered trouble joining the Zoom Meeting. Today’s program was entitled “Leading Learning in Times of Crisis”, and Nicole Green was the presenter.

Communications: PP John welcomed our guests, Nicole, Linda, and Jill. He shared a Thank You Note from Pam Venuti, who presented a program to us, a few weeks ago, called “Thrive to Survive”. She expressed her appreciation to Naples Rotary for our commitment to the Naples Community.

What’s Happening? PE Matt, introduced today’s speaker, Nicole Green, who is the new Naples High School Principal. Nicole comes to us with 15 plus years of experience at the Marcus Whitman CSD, and her husband, Matt, is a very experienced and popular teacher in the Naples Central School District as well. Their sons, Ben and Nick, are also graduates of NCS. Nicole also achieved further preparation at the U. of R. She originally comes from the “Tug Hill Area”, having had her education at Lowville Academy. It was at SUNY Potsdam where she met Matt. She had been an English Teacher at Marcus Whitman, and she later transitioned into leadership. She gave a little bit of background on each of their sons, Ben and Nick, who have both done well.

Nicole, (with the eloquence of Matt Frahm), proceeded to tell us what being with kids “online” has been like these past few weeks. She explained how boxes were organized, by grade level, for kids, and how parents were able to pick them up. “Virtual Learning” has occurred out of necessity, and teachers have been able to keep in contact with parents, and they have been able to put assignments online. Safety, of course, has been a priority, and this was evidenced when we viewed a picture of Nicole, Kris, and Matt all wearing masks made by Matt’s Mom!

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and Nicole noted that NCS Superhero Signs were placed at every NCS employee’s home last week. This was indicative of the community support that each of the NCS Teachers deserves for the commitment and creative teaching that has been done during these last few weeks. There will be a virtual Naples Honor Society Induction this Spring, via a slideshow. We salute the 42 Seniors who will be graduating this Spring! Things will, undoubtedly, “look different” in the Fall, as Nicole indicated, but she also added that Naples has a “family feel”. She ended her talk with a quote by Walt Disney. “We grow the most when we are faced with adversity”. Knowing the nature of our Naples Community, this statement surely proves true! Many, many thanks to Nicole, her colleagues, and parents for supporting and encouraging our youth during these challenging times!

Nicole entertained questions afterwards, and she asked us to bear in mind that flexibility is important, and that we need to “think outside the box” during these times. Matt noted that “It’s not the same trying to replicate being with others”. Yet, he added that we can glean important values from this experience. Pres. Tom, who was able to join us, was very proud of NCS, and he thanked both Nicole and Matt for bringing NCS to us. Matt appreciates the “Rotary Connection to NCS”. Jack spoke of Sharon’s thanks to NCS, as a retired teacher. Jill W. added that she was glad to be here. Marty and Jill hope that the Interact Program can be resurrected when things calm down. Bruce M. also noted that education was close to his heart.

The Fines and Happy Bills were next on today’s agenda. Jack appreciated the program, he gave kudos to the Penfield School District, and he was thinking about golf. John F. was appreciative of the program, he was relieved not to have to run meetings anymore, and Mother’s Day celebrations were nice, and he appreciates Jennifer’s work on the front lines. Mart y and Jill enjoyed the program. Pat and Bo enjoyed the program, and they appreciate the work that Jennifer is doing. Matt also enjoyed the program, and he is thankful for Jennifer. Tom enjoyed the program, and he thanked John for taking over today!

Before the Rotary Moments, Jack asked about our Exchange Student, Aren Jensen. Carrie said that Aren is tentatively set to come home in mid-July. Carrie then shared her Rotary Moment. She has been in Rotary for 10 years. Her Dad, Skip, is a Rotarian, as was her Grandfather, Bruce. She recalled how her Dad helped with providing the trees for the kids for Arbor day, when she was teaching. Nice memory, Carrie! I remember those days! Patrice also shared a nice article, written by Andy, on the Rotary Responders, which appears in the recent issue of the Neapolitan Record. Thank you, Andy and Marianna! Naples Rotary connects the community also! Pres. Tom concluded with an anecdote from his morning experience. The clinic where he receives his treatment had been closed down for about 8 weeks. Today, when he received his back treatment, the very friendly nurse began conversing with him. There was Tom, face down, all masked, and “chatting away”! He talked of Rotary, of course, and do you know what? This nurse’s dad was in Rotary! Such a connection, eh? Take Care, everyone! Board Meeting and Club Assembly are scheduled for next week. See you then!

P. S. I also wanted to add how uplifting Pastor Robin’s articles in the Neapolitan record have been. Robin, you are an inspiration to us all!