Derby Day Fundraiser is May 4 at Chapman House. Limited tickets are available. Please see Christine Hage for more details.
Ray D announced that the CORE Dinner will be May 14 at the First Congregational Church, beginning at 6:15 p.m.
Ron D announced that the Ray Doerr has been asked to complete Robert Cruciger's term on the Board. He also invited Rotarians to invite others to share in the joy of Rotary.
Kyle J announced that help is needed for both Wine Tasting set up, clean up, and pouring wine. Also, items are still needed for the auction.
Phil M announced that 11 students have signed up to participate in this year's RYLA. They are also in need of drivers who could transport students to the camp.
A reminder that the first 50/50 drawing will be held on Tuesday, April 30.
Please mark your calendars. This year's Habitat Dinner will be at Van Hoosen Farm on May 16, 5-8 p.m. Cost is $25/person.
ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK AWARD
Phil Lowman handed the bejeweled trophy to Dave Archbold... congrats, Dave!
SONGS
Bob led us in two songs today, Tomorrow (not sung so well) and Blue Skies (sung much better). Thank you, Bob!
SHERIFF'S REPORT
Dave Blair rocked the house with a superb sheriff report, bringing both laughter and merriment to our club. $237 was raised for Rotary Scholarships. Thank you everyone!
PROGRAM
Ron Lichtle introduced today’s speaker, Dr. Robert Shaner, Superintendent of the Rochester Community Schools (RCS), which has 15,000 students and 1,500 staff members. It is the largest district in Oakland County. He began by praising the partnership between RCS and the Rochester Rotary Club. Dr. Shaner discussed the Social-Emotional Wellness Team and the kick-off event where Detroit Red Wings Announcer Ken Daniels spoke of the personal impact of the opioid epidemic, and the death of his son, Jamie, to opioids. The district is taking this and mental health awareness seriously and desires to implement the best practices available in caring for our students. He shared how the success of the school district is attributable to the support of the stakeholders, community, and the desire to work together for success. He shared how the Diversity and Inclusion team is another way that the RCS is committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment for all its students. He also offered a Bond update, discussing how phase 4 of the $185 million bond is currently underway. There is a focus on sustainability as part of the strategic plan.
Dr. Shaner then took time for questions. There were a number of topics raised such as: community support for our school district, late-start for high school students, the arming of teachers, being a well-respected school district locally and globally, opportunities for vocational education, impact of technology on education, priority of global education, and encouraging students to seek their passion of learning.
Thank you, Dr. Shaner for a great presentation about the Rochester Community Schools!
