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- Miroslawa Stechly, RCSL June 2024 Teacher of the Month
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- Chris Nguyen, March 2024 RCSL Teacher of the Month
RCSL Teachers of the Month
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) congratulated and presented awards to the club’s Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) Teachers of the Month. According to 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.
Miroslawa (Mirka) Stechly, World Languages Program, Spanish Department Chair at CUSD Hamilton High School, was named RCSL’s February 2024 Teacher of the Month. Mirka has over 25 years’ teaching experience and has taught at Hamilton for 11 years. She teaches AP Spanish at all levels, is an Honors Spanish Society sponsor, and teaches French classes. Per the school’s administrator Richard Baniszewski, Mirka speaks more than five languages, has strong people skills, and nurtures students and fellow teachers in an understanding way.
Chris Nguyen, music teacher (K-6) at CUSD Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School, was named March 2024 Teacher of the Month. Chris has 15 years’ teaching experience. Per fellow teacher Kathleen Villaorduna, Chris is a talented and dedicated music teacher who teaches all grade levels and knows and cares for all the students. Students know him well, as he has become the heart and the soul of Hartford Elementary. He leads the student government’s (over 30 students) charitable and social activities, leads field trips, leads holiday programs, teaches guitar, and has initiated the school’s first track team. He is involved in Valley’s Musical Instrument Museum and Community College band productions.
For more information about Rotary Club of Sun Lakes, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
RCSL volunteers gather before making household deliveries to four refugee homes in the Valley. Pictured (left to right) are Carrie Hughes, Kandi Skrabala, Dr. Honora Norton, Bill and Val Crump, Becky Kerr, and Stan Klein.
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Helps Resettled Refugees
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) partnered with the Welcome to America Project, collecting personal hygiene products during the month of April. On May 2 RCSL members Lisbeth Levor, Sharon Flood, Ann Diamond, Stan Klein, and Kandi Skrabala worked at the Welcome to America warehouse packing the household items to be delivered to the newly vetted immigrant families in the Valley.
On May 4 RCSL completed welcome deliveries to four refugee homes in the Valley, including Glendale. Some of the families were from Thailand’s Mae La refugee camp, which houses over 50,000 refugees whose average time spent in the camp is 20 years. Led by Kandi Skrabala, RCSL Rotarians and family members helping with the delivery of furniture, TVs, microwaves, laptops, sewing machines, bikes, toys, clothes, and household goods were Dr. Honora Norton, Carrie Hughes, Val and Bill Crump, Kandi and Tom Skrabala, Becky Kerr, and Stan Klein.
For more information about RCSL membership and projects, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
RCSL President-elect Peter Meade presents Rotarian of the Month plaque to Kandi Skrabala.
Rotarian of the Month Kandi Skrabala
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) named Sun Lakes resident Kandi Skrabala May 2024 Rotarian of the Month. The club enthusiastically thanked Kandi for her dedicated volunteer service to RCSL and within the Valley. Over the past few years, Kandi has led the club’s annual April Rotary Volunteer Week projects. This year included leading volunteers for the Welcome to America Project to help resettled refugees in the Valley. She has been involved in many of the club’s community service projects, from sewing goodies for children to collecting food and toiletries for those in need. She also is key to the club’s meeting set-up, often serves as a greeter, and much more.
For more information about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
April Teacher of the Month
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) congratulated and presented an award to the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) April 2024 Teacher of the Month. According to 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.
Debra Georgvich, Special Education Department Chair at CUSD’s Santan Junior High School, was named RCSL’s April 2024 Teacher of the Month. For the past 12 years, Debra has excelled in special education, 4th grade, and administration. She earned a dual bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in elementary education and special education with an emphasis in learning disabilities, a master’s degree in educational leadership, and her principal certificate. Per Paige Green, her nominating teacher, Debra possesses a heart overflowing with compassion for her students. She takes a genuine interest in each child’s well-being and fosters trust, positive relationships, and a nurturing environment where students feel safe to explore, learn, and grow. Her dedication goes far beyond the classroom walls.
For more information about Rotary Club of Sun Lakes, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.