O’Fallon Rotary, District 90 team up for reading project

The partnership may have ended, but the impact of a five-month long project between the Rotary Club of O’Fallon and the District 90 Early Childhood Development Program will last, those involved say.

Thirty members of the Noon Rotary Club visited 10 preschool classrooms in five elementary schools weekly between September 2019 and January 2020 to read to either individuals or small groups several times a month.

By the numbers, that meant over 200 children participated and there were 50 classroom sessions of at least 30 minutes each, noted Rotary Club President Rich Lunan.

Gina Harding, director of Early Childhood in District 90, said the project was successful because of the commitment to the well-being of the youngest students.

“The impact an adult can make by the simple act of reading to a child is one of the best gifts a community can give its children. Reading aloud to children builds comprehension, vocabulary, listening, and speaking skills, not to mention to the social-emotional impact of having an adult demonstrate a love of reading,” she said.

For reading material, Rotarians could bring a favorite from their own family or their childhood, but the classroom teachers also provided books for the club members that coincided with the weekly theme the students were learning, said Carrie Hruby, O’Fallon District 90 superintendent.

Lunan said each teacher selected approximately five books, and the Rotarian chose at least three books to read to the students.

Rotarians who volunteered their time thoroughly enjoyed reading to the students, Lunan said.

“They enjoyed seeing the students’ reaction to having a guest reader. Most of our members had not read to young children for many years, and this experience brought back fond memories. Rotarians told me seeing the children’s smiling faces made their day brighter,” he said.

The teachers were very pleased as well, Hruby said.

“The teachers have loved to see the interaction between the students and the Rotary members,” she said. “The students especially liked when a Rotarian came on a consistent basis and started to develop a relationship. We saw many smiles, hugs and laughter.”

Hruby recalled a preschool student’s response when he saw Lunan.

“He excitedly remarked: ‘Oh good, he’s here! I love that guy!’” she said.

John “Woody” Almind, past Rotary Club president, was one of the readers and praised the program.

“I really appreciated this great opportunity,” he said. “The children and their teachers really love it when someone comes in to read to them. It just offers everyone a different face and a different perspective.

“I had the pleasure of reading to some very bright children in Mrs. Amy Little’s preschool class at Moye Elementary School. I was very impressed with these polite, well-behaved kids,” Almind said.

“I think I received more out of the experience than the kids! I left the school with a smile on my face thinking that our future is definitely in good hands. I definitely agree with the late, great Walt Disney who once said, ‘Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children,’” he said.

Lunan said they successfully wrote a grant application last year, as it qualified under one of Rotary International’s six primary areas of focus — Basic Education and Literacy.

The $2,700 grant provided $2,400 in scholarship money to partially offset fees for financially needy students and $300 for classroom library books to supplement their lessons.

The check was presented to the O’Fallon Early Childhood Development Foundation, which provides scholarships to 3-and 4-year-old children who are residents of the district so they may have the opportunity to attend preschool, Hruby noted.

“Not all families qualify for state and federal aid yet find themselves in a situation where they cannot afford to send their children to high quality preschool. The Foundation gives a ‘hand-up,’ not a ‘hand-out,’ as parents are expected to contribute an amount they can afford,” Hruby said.

“The Rotary Club of O’Fallon developed an implementation plan, budget, contingency plan, and a documentation retention plan,” Lunan said. “Rotary District 6510 funded two-thirds of the total cost of the project not to exceed $2,000, while the club accounted for the remaining cost. For this project, we contributed $900 and the district grant funded the remaining $1,800.”

Partners in education for 10 years; however, grant only for 1 year

Hruby said the Early Childhood Development Foundation and the Rotary have been partners in education since the foundation began 10 years ago.

Prior to this grant, they had a similar program two years ago and the Rotary has been active in supporting scholarships for needy families for 10 years, she said.

Cindy Doil, president of the Early Childhood Development Foundation, said Rotarians were disappointed when the program ended.

“They asked if they could please continue reading to students because they enjoyed it so much,” Doil said.

Can it continue?

“Unfortunately, this grant is only for one year, and we must complete it by the end of February,” Lunan said.

Lunan, Hruby enjoyed partnership

Lunan said he is very proud of the club being able to make a substantial financial contribution and the way volunteers embraced the project.

“I am very proud of our Rotary Club of O’Fallon members for their total support, dedication, and enthusiasm to read to students in the classrooms,” he said.

“Every year we look for ways to support different needs. We truly believe in Rotary’s motto ‘Service Above Self’ and are always looking for ways we can give back to our community,” he said.

“We thank the Rotary Club of O’Fallon for their generous support of the Foundation,” Hruby said.

Studies indicate children who participate in high-quality early childhood development programs have higher scores on math and reading achievement tests, stronger language abilities, less frequent grade retention, less need for special education and other remedial work, lower dropout rates, higher secondary graduation rates, higher levels of schooling attainment, and improved nutrition and health, Hruby said.

The O’Fallon Early Childhood Development Foundation is a 501c3 not for profit organization. All donations are tax deductible. Individuals wishing to donate are asked to go to https://www.earlychildhoodofallon.org/ for donation opportunities.

This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 11:13 AM.