Vocational Projects


Stirling Rotary - Schools Initiative:

In March 2006 Stirling Rotary commenced its Schools Initiative Programme in conjunction with Stirling Senior School (Grades 6,7 and 8). The initial goal was to help improve math skills and literacy with Grade 8 remedial students in order to help them better prepare for High School. This early work involved volunteers visiting the school on a regular basis and working with students (one on one or two on one basis) on pre-set material.

Volunteers generally have no training as teachers and learned very quickly that remedial students have a tendency toward a shorter attention span. As pre-set work must be done, the challenge was (and still is) to find varying methods of learning and stimulation in order to reduce monotony. The students in the remedial unit are categorized according to their learning differences. Volunteers do not deal with this categorization and strive to encourage students to find what they are individually good at and to take pride in their learning achievements.

What's New? We are happy to announce that Sandy Brewster, wife of Rotarian John Brewster, is going to help out by starting a remedial reading program in the junior school in September 2007.

The 2006/2007 year started with inherent difficulties in that the remedial unit at the school was disbanded due to budget cuts. Volunteers found that their services were in even greater demand by the school staff who are unable to provide the attention required by these kids. However, at the end of the first academic year some students showed remarkable improvement and in some cases enhanced their expected grading levels from 3&4 to 1&2.

What's New? To continue building on this early success, the Stirling Rotary club will sponsor the introduction of a new computer based learning program in the senior school this upcoming 2007/2008 school year. A research group based in Ottawa has developed one of the world's leading literacy enhancement computer software programs. Through a partnership with Rotary International, AutoSkill International Inc. will provide access to its literacy program over high-speed internet at a nominal cost of $100 per student. Tests have shown that with as little as 10 hours of work on this program, students can improve their reading skills by a full grade level. The Stirling Rotary Club is very excited to introduce this program into our schools to help our local kids succeed. The club will be closely monitoring the success of the program for possible expansion.

What's New? - The Who's Nobody Program

In 2006/2007, the Stirling Rotary Club purchased a "Who Is Nobody" program for the Grade 7 class at the senior school. The program, which cost $500, includes a training session and a teacher's aid for Grades 1 - 8 that provides all the tools needed to implement engaging character education throughout the year with minimal use of class time. It includes a teacher's manual, student manual, denim "Nobody" doll, 6 posters, a scrapbook, a binder and a bag to carry it all around in. Students work on five "Who Is Nobody" steps individually to discover their own interests and to create their own way of being kind to living things. The five steps in the program are:
  1. Choose a living thing (people, animals, the environment)
  2. Use your interests and abilities to be kind to living things
  3. Add a creative attachment to the doll that represents your kind act
  4. Write a story and draw a picture about your "Who Is Nobody?" experience
  5. Bring the doll back to school and present it to your class.
Each student has a turn to take the doll home for a week and add something to it that represents what they've done. Over the school year the doll goes from being "nobody" a doll with no character, to "somebody" who has lots of character as a result of students' actions.

The "Buddy" program was well received by the teacher as well as the students. They had a wonderful time being creative and took great pride in their achievements. Buddy ended his year sporting a colourful toque added by a student after helping his dad make maple syrup throughout March Break. His t-shirt represents the effort to clean up the community by picking up trash. A penny bag represents one student's drive to collect pennies for the Children's Wish Foundation. The list goes on and on. The Rotary club commends the students who have demonstrated good citizenship and had lots of fun doing it.

This 2007/2008 school year, the Stirling Rotary club will purchase a material refill for the current Who's Nobody in the senior school and purchase another Who's Nobody for introduction in the junior school.