Tag Archives: Rotary

A day in the fresh outdoors

Supporting the Environment

We had a fantastic day today tree planting with treemission and SERCUL, led by Alan Briggs. Everyone enjoyed being in the fresh outdoors on a sunny day and we planted a mix of 1800 shrubs, reeds and trees to build up the buffer zone for the salt marsh.
SERCUL Project Manager Darren gave us a tour of the salt marsh after we finished to explain the unique eco system and the projects to restore areas degraded by an access track that has blocked the natural tidal flows of the salt water. These tidal flows normally keep the salt marsh healthy by discouraging other invasive plants.

Thanks to our volunteers

Thanks to everyone who came along, including our friends from Rotary Club of West Perth. Also thanks to Bill for contributing towards the BBQ lunch, to everyone who chipped in to the Rotary Foundation collection tin, to those who brought snacks, to Rod who went out of is way to give our new volunteer Alejo a lift and to SERCUL for providing the plants and great guidance. Finally, congratulations to Alan for great organisation. We are already looking forward to our next planting!
A group of happy tree planters with the Treemission banner

Job well done

 

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.

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 Teacher Champion Awards – Vote in the People’s Choice Award for your School Video!

The people’s choice award is open for voting! To have your say our Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion.Award, check out the entry videos and *like* the story of your favourite champion(s)

love of reading header promoting voting

Links to the Entry Videos!

Bruce Rock: https://youtu.be/gaZb81o1Gq4

Narembeen: https://youtu.be/7Kl1g2vH5AU

Quairading: https://youtu.be/R5IP83q_V8k

Tammin: https://youtu.be/Cx-ylnsFWZU

Wagin: https://youtu.be/n3sVr7OyXe8

York: https://youtu.be/4XSjQMejvX0

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”)

 

Rotary Wheatbelt Love of Reading Teacher Champion Awards – Nomination Date Extended to 25 May 2018

We understand that a few Wheatbelt schools may have received news of the awards belatedly. In the interests of a fair go and remembering that this is about celebrating those who champion reading, we’ve extended the nomination  date to 25 May 2018. See full details of the awards process 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)

and at least one people’s choice award. There may be more than one, depending on the number of nominations received.

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”)

 

Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading on 25 March 2018

swimmers completing laps

2017 swimmers in action!

We are thrilled that three Wheatbelt schools will again participate in the Rotary Swim for Reading at Bruce Rock Aquatic Centre on 25 March 2018. Quairading and Narembeen District High Schools will join Bruce Rock DHS at the swim for the second year running.

This year the Swim has been renamed as the “Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading” to help clarify the main purpose of the event. The Swim supports our Rotary Love of Reading program, which encourages young Wheatbelt children to read and be read to more, because they’ll develop better literacy skills that way.

The Swim will start at 10.30am on 25 March, with registration from 10am.

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading

The Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Reading is a fundraising and community event for participating Wheatbelt schools. E-WA will provide reading grants to Narembeen and Quairading to top up swim fundraising by those schools. E-WA will continue to support Bruce Rock DHS by way of the successful Reading Rabbits and Reading for Life reading incentive programs, funds for which are raised via the annual Swim event. All three school communities will also have access to a number of RYPEN personal development programs (see below).

The Swim is a non-competitive event held to encourage participation by students and the community. The primary fundraising for the event is by way of sponsorship of swimmers.

Registration for the Swim on 25 March is from 10am, with swimming commencing at 10.30am. Entry will be FREE.

Incentives for Participants

Incentive #1 – Rotary Community Service Certificates

We will award Rotary Community Certificates to those who fund raise and participate in the Swim. These certificates will confirm that the recipient has supported their community and one of the participating schools by fundraising and taking part in the Swim. Community certificates are useful in many ways, including work experience and job applications.

Incentive #2– Places on RYPEN Rotary Personal Development & Leadership Programs for Young People Aged 14-17

The Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) is a popular leadership and personal development program for young people aged 14-17. As in 2017, we will book a number of places on the RYPEN program for those who excel in their efforts on behalf of the 2018 Swim.  RYPEN places are in demand because the program is enjoyable, challenging and helps participants achieve their potential.

The Swim RYPEN pack, which includes RYPEN information and an application form, can be downloaded here.

Support Your School – Sponsor a Swimmer

You can support reading program development at your preferred District High School by sponsoring a participating swimmer from that school’s community in the Swim on 25 March 2017. Download sponsorship forms via these links:

Sponsorship Form for Bruce Rock DHS swimmers
Sponsorship form for Narembeen DHS swimmers
Sponsorship form for Quairading DHS swimmers

You’re welcome to come and cheer the swimmers on, too. Spectator entry to the Swim will be FREE.

We’ll have a sausage sizzle to deal with those hunger pangs, too. Only $5 per serve!

Want to Find Out More?

If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact:

Jeff Anderson – Swim Coordinator: 0429 110 226
or
Kero O’Shea – RYPEN Coordinator: 0408 802 490

Prepared by:

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

Bruce Rock Swim 2017: All Three School Swim Posters in One Place

Here are all three Swim posters (Bruce Rock, Narembeen and Quairading).

Poster showing details of the Swim in Bruce Rock on 25 March 2017

Our 2017 Swim Poster for Bruce Rock

Narembeen poster promoting 25 March 2017 Bruce Rock Swim

Our 2017 Rotary Wheatbelt Swim for Literacy poster for Narembeen

Bruce Rock Swim Quairading Poster

Our Quairading Swim Poster