Four years ago, members of the Rotary Club of Nassau volunteered to read to students at the Stephen Dillet Primary School. Every Wednesday in an effort to cultivate a love for reading among the students, professionals from all walks of life gathered at the school on Wulff Road and Windsor Lane with books and big smiles for the students. The efforts led to the Rotarians adopting the school in 2013 and expanding their services to the 820-strong student body.
Today, the Rotarians continue to demonstrate their commitment to the development of the students, as other programs to enhance the students' quality of life and learning experiences evolved.
To promote healthy children and families, the civic group held two vision screenings this school year during which they administered eye tests to 225 students of which 45 were referred to an optometrist and 35 provided with glasses paid for by the club.
The Rotarians also held a diabetes screening for students and parents to detect the presence of the common non-communicable disease in the school and associated community. Additionally, they held a forum that featured a special educator with experience in testing and identifying learning disabilities who advised parents on how to improve their children's academic performance.
Two years ago, the club started supplementing an existing breakfast program at the school. Meals were provided by the school two or three days a week. Rotarians filled the void on the remaining days when breakfast was not provided by the school. They also took time out at least twice a month to serve the meals and interact with the students. Without the Rotarians' assistance some students at the school would not receive a meal.
"Our motivation is to ensure that students, whose parents cannot afford to give them a meal, receive one so they can be equally equipped as their classmates to listen and learn," said La-Paige Gardiner, the club's president,
Part of the Rotarians' mission at their adopted school is teaching students to give back regardless of their circumstances. Stephen Dillet's Early Act Club, the primary school arm of Rotary, has distributed food in the Mason's Addition community and joined other clubs in a clean-up of Yamacraw Beach.
"Our hope is that the students develop a strong sense of community service where they can look beyond their own circumstances and needs, and recognize the needs of others and try to find ways to assist those in a similar situation," she said. "We are happy that we have been able to do all that we have for the children and are even more encouraged by the Minister of Education's support of our club's involvement in the school. Last October, Minister (Jerome) Fitzgerald read the story of 'The Mixed-Up Chameleon' to the grade three class of Ms. Samantha Cartwright."
Stephen Dillet School principal Sheila Scavella and Guidance Counsellor Ryan Barnett have embraced the partnership as they say it advances and supports the learning environment and the growth of students.
Sixth grade students Curtrinique Cash and David Rolle are members of the Rotaract Club at Stephen Dillet. They said that their affiliation with the Rotary Club of Nassau has done a lot for them. Curtrinique has participated in walk-abouts delivering gift bags of food to people in the Mason's Addition community.
"I enjoyed delivering gift bags to people. It helped me to realize that there are people less fortunate than me," she said.
"When we delivered the gift bags, we told them that they were gifts from God We also prayed with them and left them a sticker to remind them of our visit," s he said.
David said his involvement with Rotaract has helped him to develop his leadership skills.
"I now see that I can be a leader, and I have built my confidence because of the programs and the people in the Rotary Club," he said.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian