Tag Archives: E-WA Rotary

Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading 2023

Ninth Annual Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading on 11 February 2023

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading will be held at the Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre on Saturday 11 February 2022!  We’ll fundraise for reading programs at Bruce Rock and Narembeen District High Schools. Importantly, young participants will earn places on Rotary youth programs through their participation in the swim.

This year for the first time we’re offering full online registration, to save delays and streamline the process when you arrive at the pool.

We have vacancies for volunteers in a number of categories on the day and will welcome assistance from community members.

Register for the swim and to volunteer here.

About the Swim Event

Our Swim is on at the Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre on Saturday 11 February 2022, commencing at 12.30pm.

The Swim is a fun event that brings our Rotary team, schools and the community together, promoting a love of reading and fundraising for reading programs, as we enable future leaders to earn Rotary youth program places.

About Sponsorship for the Swim

This year we have again partnered with Rotary Australia World Community Service so that we can offer tax-deductible receipts.

Please encourage all sponsors to use the online donation form at https://donations.rawcs.com.au/49-2020-21

This is the easiest way to obtain a tax receipt. Donors who enter their details in the form can choose to pay by credit card, bank transfer or cheque. All the instructions are in the form. In the Request(s) to Project Manager box, please name the school and swimmer being sponsored. The online form is also great for encouraging family and friends anywhere to support local kids.

Questions?  Email us at swim@rotaryeclubwa.org.au

One Banner to Rule Them All?

Our number 1 banner promoting literacy development

Supporting Reading via Reading Rabbits

Our Number One Banner

One banner to rule them all? Maybe not, but our number one banner – promoting literacy development – has pride of place in our visual storytelling.

Our most important banner was born in 2016. Crucially, that banner addresses two themes that are vital to what we do in Bruce Rock, Narembeen and Quairading:

  • Firstly, the core theme is obvious. We made literacy improvement our prime aim in 2015, knowing that it wasy not going to be easy . Lots of research points to the ongoing challenges of literacy and how a literacy deficit adversely impacts people. We wanted a better future for all kids, so we took on what is now our Rotary Love of Reading program with the help of our wonderful partner schools.  Together we will make a difference.
  • Secondly, the banner depicts another theme that we also value highly: our sponsorship from Bruce Rock Shire.  The Shire has helped us progress the Rotary Love of Reading program in very important ways. Crucially, the Shire enables our use of the facilities at the Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre for the annual Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading.  Additionally, the Shire sponsors our Rotary Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) a development seminar for 14 to 17 year olds.  We offer RYPEN to those students who take part in the Swim and raise funds for their schools.

Have You Spoken with Alison?

Importantly, our number one banner also depicts our 2020-21 president-elect Alison in the kids’ library.  Alison arranged the first Rotary swim in 2014, soon after she arrived in Bruce Rock. Alison, a keen supporter of our reading and youth development programs, still lives in Bruce Rock and still plays a crucial role in the annual Rotary Swim for Reading.

If you live in Bruce Rock and would like to know more about our reading and other programs, look Alison up. She’s always ready to help and keen to talk about what we have to offer.

Kero O’Shea
Secretary
Rotary E-Club of Western Australia Inc. (“E-WA”)

Our Banners Tell Stories

the banner we use to promote the RYPEN youth development program

RYPEN – our life-changing leadership and personal development program for young people aged 14-17..

Our 2020 Banner to promote the Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading Swim Banner 2020 final

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading adds value in lots of different ways.

Every Banner Tells a Story

Our Banners tell stories.  Consequently, we’ve invested in several banners over the years, to share the stories of the Rotary causes and projects that we love.

This year, we’re preparing for our first (leap) birthday party and 6th Swim for Reading, so we’ve acquired new banners to reflect our passion for what we do.

  • Firstly, we needed a new flag for our Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading. We started with a new banner for the first Swim for Bruce Rock Kids in 2015. Then we renamed the event when Narembeen and Quairading entered in 2017. We took care of lots of other things, but put off buying new livery. This year we decided it’s time for a new flag!
  • Secondly, we want to promote the popular Rotary Youth Program known as RYPEN (Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment). RYPEN is a life-changing personal and leadership development camp for young people aged 14-17. RYPEN is on offer to all the young people who take part in the Swim and fundraise.  It’s a core element of our conversation with the young people and the community about the Rotary Love of Reading program.

Swim Banner Busts Myths

Importantly, the banner for the Rotary Swim for Reading busts a few myths.   Why hold a swim to encourage reading? Here are four good reasons:

  • Firstly, the Swim raises funds for reading programs in schools, so it’s about tangible results.
  • Secondly, the Swim highlights the vital link between healthy body (swimming) and healthy mind (reading).
  • Thirdly, the Swim encourages good citizenship by asking kids to work for their schools.
  • Lastly, the Swim develops young leaders through RYPEN, the reward for those who respond to the call.

So please, take a moment to look at our banners and reflect on the stories they tell.

Kero O’Shea
Swim Director 2020
Rotary E-Club of Western Australia Inc. (‘E-WA”)

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading Needs You!

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading Needs You - image shows a couple of kids sitting on a bean bag readingThe Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading needs you!

The Swim is on at the Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre on Saturday 22 February 2020, starting at 1pm.

The formula for the Swim is pretty simple.

Firstly, the Swim supports three schools:

Secondly,  we promote a love of reading and raise money for reading in local schools via the Swim.  Importantly, we ensure that all funds donated go to the nominated school(s). There is no overhead deduction. We’re all volunteers.

Thirdly, we recognize the efforts of young people who fundraise for their local school and participate in the swim. We value the efforts of these young leaders. Those who fundraise and participate will be in the running for a Rotary youth development program for 14-17 year olds. We’ve nominated more than 20 teenagers for the youth program since 2017.  In 2020, we’re planning to send lots of youngsters on the program.

Want to raise funds for your school’s reading programs? You can!
It’s easy as 1-2-3:

  1. use the accompanying Sponsorship Form  to collect sponsors or go to https://www.chuffed.org/project/ewarotary-wheatbelt-love-reading-2020 to contribute online. The online option is brilliant! It enables friends and family anywhere to sponsor swimmers
  2. register for the swim (see attached form) – Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading)
  3. participate in the fun on 22 February at Bruce Rock pool.

Questions? Email us at swim@rotaryeclubwa.org.au or have a chat with our Bruce Rock-based president-elect Alison Lockwood.

Let’s back our schools at the Swim!  Don’t leave it to others – the Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading needs you!

Kero O’Shea
Swim Director
Rotary E-Club of Western Australia inc. (“E-WA”)

 

2020 Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading Less Than 4 Weeks Away!

To: All Our Friends in
Bruce Rock, Narembeen and Quairading

The Rotary E-Club of Western Australia Inc. (“E-WA”) is pleased to invite you to our 2020 Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading.   This will be our 6th Swim and we’re planning our best ever!

We’re holding the Swim at the Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre on Saturday 22 February 2020, commencing at 1pm.

The Swim is a fun event where our Rotary team, schools and the community come together to promote a love of reading and fundraise for reading programs in participating schools. We raise funds through sponsorship of swimmers, with funds going to school(s) nominated by the donor.

E-WA is proud to have increased support to school reading programs again this year and with your help we can do even more in future.

Alison Lockwood, our Bruce Rock based president-elect, is busy organising catering and local support for the Swim in preparation for her year as the leader of E-WA in 20-21. Chat with Alison about her plans if the opportunity arises!

We hope you can join us on the day to enjoy another successful Rotary Swim for Reading.

Want to know more?  Click here or contact us on swim@rotaryeclubwa.org.au.

See you at the Swim!

Kero O’Shea
Swim Director
E-WA

Shogo Williams – Matsuoka “
President
E-WA

Poster for 2020 Swim for Reading

Our 2020 Rotary Swim for Reading is on 22 February.

Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading on 22 February 2020

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading is on again in 2020!

The Rotary E-Club of Western Australia Inc. (“E-WA”) is pleased to invite you to our 6th annual Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading in 2020. We’re planning our best Swim ever!

We’ll be holding the Swim at the Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre on Saturday 22 February 2020, commencing at 1pm. A huge “thank you to our partners and sponsors at the Shire of Bruce Rock for their continuing support for our Swim.

The Swim is a fun event where our Rotary team, schools and the community come together to promote a love of reading and fundraise for reading programs in participating schools.  We raise funds through sponsorship of swimmers and all funds go to the nominated school(s).

We in E-WA are proud to have increased support to school reading programs again this year and with your help we can do even more in future.

Alison Lockwood, our Bruce Rock based president-elect, is busy organising catering and local support for the Swim in preparation for her year as the leader of E-WA in 20-21. Have a chat with Alison about her plans if the opportunity arises!

We hope you can join us on the day to enjoy another successful Rotary Swim for Reading.

See you at the Swim!

Kero O’Shea
Swim Director
E-WA		 Shogo Williams – Matsuoka
President
E-WA

Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading Poster 2020

Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading 2020 is on 22 Feb 2020 at Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre

 

Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading on 9 March 2019!

1 in 3 Australians have literacy skills low enough to make them vulnerable to unemployment and social exclusion. Developing a love of reading in our kids can change that! We are partnering with Wheatbelt communities to help create a brighter future for country kids, but we need your support

About our Fundraiser

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading is a fun, annual event that brings together people of all ages to splash in the Bruce Rock Swimming Pool for a good cause. Funds raised support early childhood reading programs. Participating schools include Bruce Rock, Quairading and Narembeen. New schools are welcome to inquire via Swim Team Leader Jeff Anderson 0429 110 226. 

Participants can swim as much or as little as they like as it’s about getting wet and having a go – although some of the Wheatbelt young champions can’t resist a training opportunity!

https://vimeo.com/302203245

Join us at the Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre

Saturday 9th March

Swim starts 1:30pm

Registration from 1pm

 

Free Entry

Sausage Sizzle $5

Note all children and young people under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian with authority to sign participation form.

Young people who participate in the Swim and fundraise for the reading programs that benefit early childhood students are eligible for selection for the Rotary personal and leadership program for 14-17 year olds (known as “RYPEN”) https://rotary9465.org.au/sitepage/new-generations/rotary-youth-program-of-enrichment

or the Rotary development program for 18- 26 year olds (RYLA) https://rotary9465.org.au/sitepage/new-generations/rotary-youth-leadership-awards-(ryla)

Swimmers:

Download a manual sponsorship form:

Set up an online fundraising page: https://www.chuffed.org/project/ewarotary-wheatbelt-love-reading-2019/signup

Supporters:

Sponsor an individual swimmer via their sponsorship form or make a general donation via our secure online fundraising page: https://www.chuffed.org/project/ewarotary-wheatbelt-love-reading-2019

About our Project:

Our online and offline fundraising supports reading programs in Wheatbelt schools. We partner with local schools and libraries to reward kids who meet reading goals with book vouchers. We also spread the message that reading, and storytelling is fun and important for ensuring the best outcomes in life. Schools who participate in the swim can earn bonus funds from Rotary on top of what they raise themselves.

We also run other online competitions during the year to reach the wider Wheatbelt and distribute grant funds from the Rotary Foundation to new participants. Last year, our Love of Reading Teacher Champion Award attracted video entries from schools and the champion teacher was Lauren Van Dongen from Narembeen. 

https://vimeo.com/302203245

Lauren Van Dongen Wins Reading Teacher Championship!

Narembeen District High School’s Lauren Van Dongen was named Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion at the awards event held on 29 June 2018.

announcement of Lauren Van Dongen as Reading Teacher Champion for 2018

Lauren Van Dongen, our Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion for 2018

Tight Contest a Tribute to the Quality of Wheatbelt Teachers

 

Prizes

Award prizes will be in the form of book vouchers:

1st prize – $2000 ($1800 to school and $200 to the nominee)

2nd prize – $1000 ($900 to school and $100 to the nominee)

3rd prize -$500  ($450 to school and $50 to the nominee)

People’s Choice Award – $250 ($200 to school and $50 to the nominee)

The winners of the three major prizes will be ineligible for people’s choice awards.

[Stop press: the Rotary E-Club of Western Australia has provided two additional book voucher prizes of $100 ($50 to the school and $50 to the nominee) so that all school champions will receive a prize. ]

Judging Criteria

We’re looking for outstanding and passionate teachers who:

  1. Convey a love of reading; and
  2. Improve the overall reading ability of their students.

by being creative, innovative and doing exceptional things.

People’s Choice Award

The people’s choice award(s) will be based on likes recorded against the primary upload of the entry video on YouTube, with counting of the *likes* to take place during the afternoon of 29 June.

For More Information

Contact Kero O’Shea (t) 0408 802 490 or (e) secretary at rotaryeclubwa.org.au

Kero O’Shea
Secretary
Rotary E-Club of Western Australia Inc. (“E-WA”)

 

Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion Awards – Winners Announced on 29 June!

Excitement! The  announcement of the winners of our Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion Awards happens this Friday, 29 June, at 7pm WST. Champion to be announced on Friday 29 June 2018

Join Us for the Big Event!

The Night of Nights is Friday 29 June

Join us on Zoom video this Friday, 29 June, at 7pm WST as we celebrate the culmination of our award competition with the announcement of our Champion and other award winners.

The six finalists went before the judges on Tuesday night to reflectively discuss their entry videos, filling in any gaps and enhancing their claims on the championship.

Prizes

Award prizes will be in the form of book vouchers:

1st prize – $2000 ($1800 to school and $200 to the nominee)

2nd prize – $1000 ($900 to school and $100 to the nominee)

3rd prize -$500  ($450 to school and $50 to the nominee)

People’s Choice Award – $250 ($200 to school and $50 to the nominee)

The winners of the three major prizes will be ineligible for people’s choice awards.

[Stop press: the Rotary E-Club of Western Australia has provided two additional book voucher prizes of $100 ($50 to the school and $50 to the nominee) so that all school champions will receive a prize. ]

Judging Criteria

We’re looking for outstanding and passionate teachers who:

  1. Convey a love of reading; and
  2. Improve the overall reading ability of their students.

by being creative, innovative and doing exceptional things.

People’s Choice Award

The people’s choice award(s) will be based on likes recorded against the primary upload of the entry video on YouTube, with counting of the *likes* to take place during the afternoon of 29 June.

For More Information

Contact Kero O’Shea (t) 0408 802 490 or (e) secretary at rotaryeclubwa.org.au

Kero O’Shea
Secretary
Rotary E-Club of Western Australia Inc. (“E-WA”)

 

Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion Awards – People’s Choice Award Announced

Good news! Thanks to the very generous support of Margaret from Child Education Services, we have a people’s choice award prize of $250! See details under prizes below.header for the details of the teacher champion awards

You have until 25 May to nominate your Teacher Champion!  Do it now!  We’re looking for outstanding and passionate teachers in the WA Wheatbelt who are creative, innovative and do exceptional things to promote a love of reading and and improve the reading skills of their students.

Our major initiative in the Wheatbelt is the Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading project.  Our goal is simple. We want to encourage more kids to read more books more often, because we understand that reading – especially early in life – makes a real difference to learning outcomes later.

To help promote reading and recognize the great work being done in the WA Wheatbelt by schools and teachers to encourage reading and promote literacy development, we’re offering our Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion Awards, with total prizes exceeding $3,500.

Entry for the awards will be in two stages:

  1. Nomination of the entrant by the school principal, with payment of a $5 nomination fee, by Friday 18 May 2018.
  2. Creation of a video for public posting on YouTube by the school to support the nomination on behalf of the award nominee.  The maximum length of the video is 3 minutes. The link to the video must be submitted by midnight on 8 June 2018

Prizes

Award prizes will be in the form of book vouchers:

1st prize – $2000 ($1800 to school and $200 to the nominee)

2nd prize – $1000 ($900 to school and $100 to the nominee)

3rd prize -$500  ($450 to school and $50 to the nominee)

People’s Choice Award – $250 ($200 to school and $50 to the nominee)  [amended 30 May]

The winners of the three major prizes will be ineligible for people’s choice awards.

Judging Criteria

We’re looking for outstanding and passionate teachers who:

  1. Convey a love of reading; and
  2. Improve the overall reading ability of their students.

by being creative, innovative and doing exceptional things.

People’s Choice Award

The people’s choice award(s) will be based on likes recorded against the primary upload of the entry video on YouTube.

Entry Video

The school will create a video to tell the judging panel – and the world – why their nominee deserves to be selected as the Reading Teacher Champion.

The entry video must satisfy the following conditions:

  1. Posted publicly on YouTube
  2. Must feature a standard title and video thumbnail as provided by the organisers
  3. Maximum length 3 minutes
  4. Privacy set to “public”
  5. Permissions from video participants for the use of their images and other  content in the video must be be obtained and retained by the nominating school.
  6. Link to the video must be submitted by midnight 8 June.

Timetable

Tuesday 1 May 2018 – Awards announced

Friday 18 May 2018  25 May 2018 (midnight) – Award nominations close [ closing date extended on 18 May 2018]

Friday 8 June 2018 (midnight)  – Closing date for posting of entry videos

Thursday 21 June 2018 (midnight) – Closing date for voting by judges on round one

Sunday 24 June 2018  – Finalists will be advised

Tuesday 26 June 2018  – 7pm – Finalists interviewed via Zoom videoconference

Wednesday 27 June 2018 (midnight)  – Voting by judges on finalists closes

Friday 29 June 2018 – 7pm – Prizewinners announced via Zoom videoconference

Award Nominations

There will be a $5 nomination fee (paid by buying the ticket) plus credit card fee . All nomination fees will go into a prize pool that will fund the people’s choice award(s).

School principals are invited to nominate a Love of Reading Teacher Champion candidate by going to https://www.trybooking.com/379291 and buying a ticket for the award announcement event.

Judging Panel

School principals who nominate a teacher for the awards will be asked to nominate a competition judge, who will vote in the two stages of judging.  The principal can self-nominate for the role of judge.

For More Information

Contact Kero O’Shea (t) 0408 802 490 or (e) secretary at rotaryeclubwa.org.au

Kero O’Shea
Secretary
Rotary E-Club of Western Australia Inc. (“E-WA”)