Photos

Lincoln School BUGS Program
Friday, April 19th, saw the culmination of the BUGS (Bringing Up Grades) program held at Lincoln School over the past semester. The program, sponsored by Rochelle Kiwanis Golden K, and supervised by teacher Will McKinney, is a Kiwanis International program intended to assist struggling grade school students in raising their grade point average during the course of the semester. The program at Lincoln School was a glaring success with 24 students bringing up their grade point average over the previous semester. On Friday, Kiwanis members Mayor Chet Olson, Dennis Swinton, Hugh McDermitt and Jim Busse attended a recognition ceremony in the school gym, honoring the students for their achievement. Each student received a certificate of appreciation from Rochelle Kiwanis Golden K, a gold dollar coin, and were treated to ice cream bars. The Golden K will also sponsor a pizza part for the students at the end of the school year.
Teacher Will McKinney (L), students and Mayor Chet Olson (R) pose for a group photo
Builders Club/Key Club Ice Cream Social
Tuesday, April 23rd, was the date set for the annual Rochelle Middle School Builders Club and Rochelle Township High School Key Club Ice Cream Social. The program, held in the middle school cafeteria, is put on by the RTHS Key Club annually as a means to enlighten middle school Builders Club members about Key Club activities, and to encourage them to consider becoming a Key Club member on entering high school. Both organizations offer students the opportunity to provide programs of service to the community, learn traits of service to others, and community outreach, and build better and more focused youth. Both organizations are sponsored by Rochelle Kiwanis Golden K, and the Builders Club representatives, Hugh McDermitt, Bill Woksa, along with Jim Busse, served ice cream and juice to the students after the event. The presentation was delivered by Key Club teacher/advisor Danae White, along with Key Club President Emily Jahnke, Secretary Elizabeth Miller, and Past President Logan Quest. The social was attended by 24 middle school students and their advisors Marcie Bruhn and Vicki Graff. Also in attendance, were friends of Logan Quest, Elisa Hammel and Dru Gallik, visiting from LaSalle-Peru. Elisa is an exchange student in LaSalle-Peru, hailing from Munich, Germany.
The session begins with introductions by Marcie Bruhn and Vicki Graff	Danae White gets the kids going with a presentation on Key Club activities
(L-R standing) Elizabeth Miller, Emily Jahnke and Logan Quest are ready for their presentation. Sitting at the back of the right table are Dru Gallik (L) and Elisa Hammel
2013 RTHS Homeless Sleepout
The annual Key Club Homeless Sleepout was held on Friday, Sept. 20 following the home football game vs. Sterling; 10 pm Friday to 5 am Saturday. It was a great success! There were 22 members sleeping in boxes all night. They had a chance to feel what it was like to rely on just a limited amount of support for a "home" for the night. Although the weather cooperated, it was still chilly and damp and they all now know the value that even a piece of cardboard makes to shield a person from the elements of nature. Wind and dew were held at bay due to boxes donated by local businesses! (A special thanks to those businesses that were willing to donate boxes to our students and also a shout-out to Alfano's Pizza and the Golden K Kiwanis group for the pizzas for "sustenance" that night. ) All campers either collected 20 nonperishable boxed or canned goods to bring or $20 to participate. Proceeds will be distributed to the Rochelle Christian Food Pantry and the Hand in Hand Mission & Homeless Shelter. Key Club raised donations of over 300 non-perishable items and $280 for the food pantries in town. The food drive/sleepout helps bring awareness to our students and our community of others who, often for reasons beyond their control, have no warm, dry, safe place to sleep or who do not have enough food to eat. Statistics show that in the United States, 1 in 6 people go to be hungry. I do not think that any person in a town surrounded by cornfields and caring people should go hungry! I love doing this project because it not only benefits our community, but it is a great bonding experience for our club. The seniors spend some of the night mentoring the freshmen and giving advice about how to have a fulfilling high school career! The gift of watching kids mentor each other and help them become better citizens and just better people... well, that really makes the night even more special for me! Teenagers have a lot of energy and I stay up all night supervising, so let's jut say, I am feeling my age by morning! Some campers hibernate in their boxes around 2, but some like to sit by the fire and visit all night! We had a great night! THANKS to our coummi8nty for the great support! Key Clubbers cut out large pieces of cardboard to build their sleepout shelters. Prizes were awarded for the most innovative and most creative shelters. Blake Helser 1st prize with his lighted shelter, Monique Murray, Alicia Davis and Kendra Buchholtz shared 2nd prize in the SENIOR Condos and 3rd prize was won by Stephanie Cabral for her creative quote-enhanced home!