1. 10 FEBRUARY 1, 2017
SCHOOLS
www.villagenewsonline.com
Seeing the smiles and hearing their
voices ring out “I can see, I can see better”
was a very big deal for Wayne Castleberry,
committee chairman for local Rotary club’s
project “We Can See Clearly Now.”
Castleberry, along with members
from Conexus Vision, the nation’s non-
profit consumer advocacy group for all
issues related to healthy vision, witnessed
the smiles and voices of 20 students
from Elizabeth Scott Elementary School
Thursday as they received their prescription
glasses.
Through the
Rotarys project,
Conexus screened
3,585 students
in Chesterfield’s
Title I elementary
schools. From the
initial screening,
they provided 263
professional eye
exams and delivered
197 pairs of
eyeglasses over the
last few months.
Castleberry
said the pilot
project falls within
four of Rotary’s
areas of focus;
fighting disease,
saving mothers
and children, supporting
education, and growing local
economies. He added that
it was his wife that inspired
him to move forward with
the project.
“My wife had a problem seeing when
she was in elementary school,” he said.
“When she got her glasses she said her
grades went from C’s and D’s toA’s and
B’s, and I have seen her report cards to
prove it.”
Castleberry is a member of the James
River Rotary Club, and he brought together
five additional clubs to participate in the
New glasses bring smiles
project. He would like to take
it statewide and nationwide for
Rotary. “We want to get everyone
inspired for children and their
vision. You can see the difference
it makes in a child’s life and smiles
on their faces,” he said.
Along with James River
Rotary, the additional Rotary clubs
involved are BonAir, Huguenot
Trail, Chester, Midlothian, and
Petersburg.
With additional funding,
the total cost of the project was
$25,000. Castleberry said they
will continue this project year after
year.
Melissa Perry, of Conexus
had the privilege fitting the
students with their new glasses.
“It is so amazing to see their faces
[with their glasses on for the first time.]
To actually bring it full circle is pretty
incredible,” she said.
One in four children has
undetected vision problems. The
mission of Conexus is to eliminate
undetected and untreated vision
problems as barriers to success,
enabling all children to reach their full
potential.
“We have always provided
vision screening,” said Tim Gresham,
president and CEO of Conexus. “This
is the first time going through the
entire process, bringing the doctor
into the school and coming back with
glasses. Because of a study with VCU
and Vision Service Plan, we were
able to test all kindergarten and
third-grade students. The study
with VCU only involves third-
grade students.”
Vision Service provided the
very latest in digital technology
for screening. “It is the finest
and best vision screening in the
world, and we are doing it right
here in Chesterfield County,”
Gresham said.
By Linda Fausz
ELISA TRIES ON HER GLASSES FOR THE FIRST TIME.
BENEFACTORS WITH STUDENTS FROM A THIRD-GRADE CLASS AFTER THEY
RECEIVED THEIR GLASSES. FROM LEFT ARE JOSEPH BROWN, CONEXUS,
RICHARD CUNNINGHAM, JAMES RIVER ROTARY, TIM GRESHAM, CONEXUS,
AND WAYNE CASTLEBERRY, JAMES RIVER ROTARY WITH ELISA, GAVIN, LUKE,
NKANTA, AND MICHELLE.
PRINCIPAL JULIE BUNTICH WITH HER THIRD-GRADERS
GRACE GIVE A HIGH-FIVE TO MELISSA PERRY AFTER
FITTING HER FOR HER GLASSES.
GAVIN WAS SO EXCITED, THE FIRST THING HE WANTED
TO DO WAS TO PICK UP SOMETHING TO READ.
The technology takes a picture of the
eyes, which allows for no language barriers.
“We were able to create vision lanes and
screen a classroom in less than 10 minutes.
It is remarkable,” Gresham said.
Jullie Buntich, principal at Elizabeth
Scott Elementary, was very excited for the
children. “I am ecstatic,” she said. “They
[the 20 students] have been asking me for
days when they were going to get their
glasses.After their examination they wore
the black-shaded glasses the rest of the
day in school, and they thought they were
so cool. We really take our eyesight for
granted,” she added, “I am sure their
reading skills will improve.”
CONEXUS MELISSA PERRY MAKES SURE
THE FIT IS GOOD FOR NKANTA’S GLASSES.