Pictured (left to right) are RCSL DPIL Program Co-lead Bill Crump, Amy Crump Sabin, RCSL Club President Victoria Flatley, RCSL President-elect Peter Meade, Debbie Bailey, and DPIL Program Co-lead Val Crump taking part in the DPIL Reverse Raffle winner’s presentation.
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Supports Youth Through Educational Projects
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) continues to support the community’s youth through its educational projects. Club President-elect Peter Meade led a Reverse Raffle Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) fundraiser. Per DPIL Program Co-lead Val Crump, a goal to support community education is done in several ways: volunteer with 5th and 6th grader STEM programs, provide 3rd graders with dictionaries, hold high school speech contests, provide scholarships, lead Teacher of the Month programs, provide leadership training opportunities for high school and college students, and partner with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The DPIL Program has been around since 1995. Parents of children from birth until age five sign their child up to receive a free book in the mail every month for five years! The program removes any barriers to children having books in their home and helps to develop oral language skills and a lifetime love of reading. RCSL was one of the first organizations in Arizona to implement DPIL. Since 2019, RCSL has provided over 1,500 children in the cities of Guadalupe and Chandler with a monthly book at no cost to their family.
Thank you to all the RCSL members and friends who supported the Reverse Raffle. The drawing was held on Jan. 20 at Sun Lakes Country Club. With 175 raffle tickets sold, the prize came to $8,500 pre-tax. Scott Faver of The Party Favers was the event’s DJ and host. One by one, names were drawn and eliminated from the grand prize of $8,500. Then it came down to the final two names: Debbie Bailey and Amy Crump Sabin. A question was asked: “Do the two of you want to split the prize between you?” Debbie and Amy agreed that they were both winners! To be exact, net for each winner, after required withholding, was $3,249.
Also, RCSL members and friends delivered dictionaries to 3rd graders in the East Valley. Per RCSL Dictionary Project Lead Roger Edmonds, over the past 20 years, 83,000 students have received dictionaries. In 2023 the Rotarians delivered dictionaries to 30 elementary schools in the Chandler Unified School District, as well as two schools on the Gila River Reservation. The dictionary contains more than just words and definitions. It often represents the first personal book these children are given and contains sections on world geography, civics, multiplication tables, science, the water cycle, planets, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, presidents, and even has illustrations for sign language and braille. The RCSL Rotarians help in the preparation by putting stickers on each book containing the Rotary logo, the Four-Way Test, and inserting a bookmark. Each Rotarian goes to an assigned school and meets with the 3rd graders and teachers to explain the dictionary and talk about Rotary and its function as they present each child with their own personal dictionary, which is theirs to keep and use at school and home.
For more information about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Pictured (left to right) are RCSL November 2023 Teacher of the Month David Howell, 7th grade social studies teacher at CUSD’s Willis Junior High School, and RCSL October 2023 Teacher of the Month Lance Michael, M.Ed., ATC, head athletic trainer/sports medicine instructor at CUSD’s Hamilton High School.
RCSL Honors CUSD Teachers
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) congratulated and presented awards to the club’s Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) Teachers of the Month. Per RCSL Education Chair Gary Kay, the award selection is based on the teacher’s total years of service in the field of education; examples of how the teacher goes above the normal requirements and enhances student education; the respect shown for the teacher by her/his peers, students, and parents; and the teacher’s involvement in extracurricular activities and service in the community. A $500 check is awarded to the honored teacher: $200 from the RCSL, $200 from Earnhardt Automotive Center, and $100 from Trust Bank.
The October 2023 RCSL Teacher of the Month is Lance A. Michael, M.Ed., ATC, head athletic trainer/sports medicine instructor at CUSD’s Hamilton High School. Lance’s education and educational background include Summer Athletic Training Internship with the Kansas City Chiefs, B.A. at Kearney State/University of Nebraska–Kearney, and M.Ed. Graduate Assistant in the Sports Medicine Department at Arizona State University. Topics in his classes include Anatomy; Kinesiology; Care, Recognition, Prevention, and Rehabilitation of Athletic Injuries; Injury Management; and First Aid. Per colleague Heather Hackett, Lance has spent 26 years at the school and is a dedicated and compassionate educator who has consistently gone above and beyond to provide school athletes with the best possible care.
The November 2023 RCSL Teacher of the Month is David Howell, 7th grade social studies teacher at CUSD Willis Junior High School. David graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (history) with an additional endorsement in structured English immersion. David’s educational philosophy: An average day in a social studies classroom goes far beyond learning historical facts. His goal is to encourage all students to think critically, collaborate inclusively, and develop the necessary skills to become a positive contributor to the world. Per Jeff Delp, school principal, David makes a positive impact on the learning and social development of his students and demonstrates a reflective attitude, flexibility, patience, and a desire to improve.
For more information about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.