Club Member Kathy Smith, President-Elect Tim Neubert, and President Paulette Renault worked the Rotary Club's booth at the Sycamore Community Expo on Saturday, May 7.
Sycamore Rotary Club President Paulette Renault checks out the new “Big Chill” freezer at the Spartan Food Pantry as pantry manager Courtney Walz and past club president Pat Shafer look on.
President-Elect Tim Neubert delivers a BIG $150 Rotary donation check to 3rd Grade Teachers Bridget Klein (left) and Natalie Brooks (right) from West Elementary School in Sycamore to support literacy education among its students.
At the beginning of their presentation on Wednesday, North Grove Elementary Principal Ryan Janisch and Molly Tucker, District MTSS Coordinator, introduced the 5th Grade EarlyActors they'd brought to our club's meeting. What a pleasure to have them join us!
Beginning June 1, our Wednesday meetings will be held at St. Mary's Parish Activity Center located at 312 Waterman Street in Sycamore. We will no longer be meeting at Blumen Gardens.
What a joy to have North Grove Elementary 5th Grade EarlyActors at our meeting on Wednesday! Huge thanks to Principal Ryan Janisch and Molly Tucker, District MTSS Coordinator, for leading and bringing them!
Now in its 12 year at North Grove, participation in the EarlyAct Club is available to all 5th Graders...and nearly 50% of the class (42 students) are involved! Incredible! The club meets twice a month to plan and work, with a focus on 10 character traits through the school year: Digital Citizenship, Respect, Collaboration, Citizenship, Empathy, Equality, Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility, and Trustworthiness. The club functions to both educate and develop a healthy and positive culture within the school.
Club meetings involve creating announcements, posters, an activity for the month, a service project, a video, and a newsletter blurb. The videos, which are shared with the entire school community, include several EarlyActors presenting the monthly trait, skits to show correct and incorrect behaviors having to do with the trait, and then...a dance party! Here's an example of a video from March 2021. A major intention behind much of these activities is to teach younger students to help their community.
One of the most amazing EarlyAct projects has been their work with Kazo School in Rwanda. The North Grove students learned that some young people at Kazo were unable to go to school because they lacked pencils. Determined to address such a basic need, EarlyAct set a goal of collecting 10,000 pencils and 1,000 pencil sharpeners to send to the school in Rwanda. They achieved their goal, and then School Tool Box matched it! While Kazo School and its students were incredibly grateful, they knew that other schools in Rwanda (and Uganda) were in need as well. So the 20,000 pencils (and 2,000 pencil sharpeners) were distributed by EarlyAct to numerous schools. As a thank you for the pencils, the Kazo students made and sent woven baskets to each classroom at North Grove. They also exchanged videos with North Grove. See one here.
In addition to the Kazo project, EarlyAct has completed projects with Feed My Starving Children, Habitat for Humanity, and a cancer center...and to support those serving in the military. They also make annual visits to the WLBK radio station, Sycamore City Council, and, of course, Rotary Club!
The EarlyAct program at North Grove Elementary School has been successful thanks to Rotary's support, teacher volunteers, and students wishing to be creative, learn to problem solve, and make a difference!
Following the May 4th meeting, I wanted to share a flyer with the details for the DeKalb County United game this weekend that will benefit the Sycamore Education Foundation. As John Hall said today...come out, grab a pint (or your favorite beverage), and support DKCU and SEF! See the flyer graphic below (above "Birthdays & Club Anniversaries") for more details.
Donations are currently being requested for the Sycamore Food Pantry. Bring a bottle of laundry detergent...or $10 for Julie Sgarlata to purchase one. Money is easier to handle.
Personal hygiene items (bar soap, shampoo, etc.) are also being sought.
May 10, 1869 – The transcontinental railroad in the U.S. became a reality with the driving of the ceremonial golden spike at Promontory Point, Utah joining the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads.
May 12, 1949 – Soviet Russia lifts its blockade of Berlin that began June 24, 1948. American and British flyers had successfully executed an airlift that delivered 2.3 million tons of food and supplies during 278,000 flights to the isolated West Berlin citizens.
May 13, 1981 – Pope John Paul II was shot at close range by an escaped prisoner while riding in his open car at St. Peter’s Square. The Pope recovered from his wounds, met with his would-be assassin, and then publicly forgave him.
May 14, 1796 – The first documented medical test of the smallpox vaccine was initiated by Dr. Edward Jenner, a rural English physician.
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