Meagan Black for Riebli Elementary School
Good Day fellow Rotarians, friends and family who are reading our weekly bulletin. Today’s
minutes are from TUESDAY, May 23, 2023
Pledge of Allegiance: Lead by Jason Black
INSPIRATION: Joan Mora, first acknowledged and thanked our veterans for their service, her
inspiration is a quote from Mary Roach
“Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large
hearts change the course of history.”
Song: Susan Cole led us in God Bless America
VISITING ROTARIANS: Maureen Merrill introduced Charisse Arnold, associate Dean at SRJC
public safety training center in Windsor. ,
Our Speaker today was Meagan Black, a teacher at Riebli Elementary School, to assist her with
her presentation; she brought a wonderful group of students with her, their presence added a
special energy to our meeting.
Megan Black and the students were limited on time as they had to attend school so we flipped
our meeting to start with the program and presentation.
Megan stated she wanted to enhance her studies in the GATE class program she teaches at
Riebli School. GATE is the acronym for Gifted and Talented Education; it enhances education in
Math, reading and science.
Megan first approached the PTA for small scale funding for printing pens but was told her
project needed to benefit the school as a whole, she decided to go bigger in her plan and in
2019 approached Rotary Club of Windsor to sponsor a 3D Printer for her class. Windsor
granted the funding and Megan was able to purchase a 3D Printer in early 2020.
She started the learning process of the 3D printer with her 6th grade class, they used features
from the book Gulliver’s travels to measure objects, and learn to scale down objects, lessons
were hampered by covid, and their 1 st design was not successful.
The second year Megan worked with the 4 th grade class on design, and the third year they
created flower pots. Megan stated this was all new to her, and that it was due to the assistance
of the students they were eventually successful.
Meagan shared that this was such a popular & great program she wanted to share with all the
classes but could not do alone. In the 2022-23 year she engaged a couple of teachers to learn
the 3D printer and with the assistance of student mentors has been able to offer to all classes
of the school.
Megan introduced her student mentors to share and help explain the program and their
experience.
Connor Caden told us using Tinkercad, (a web app for 3D design, electronics & coding), they
were able to build their own design or use pre built. The app was very helpful in learning how
to use the printer.
Arial Charlotte told us how it works, the 3D printer nozzle is hot and they use compostable
material to make their projects. Replacement parts for the 3D printer can all be made with a
3D printer. They have already reproduced the filament for the printer.
Ainsley & Sidney explained they used a corn syrup base material to make the flower pots, they
were able to design different shapes, and there were some failures. The nozzle extrudes the
material in layers on the design and it takes about 5 hours to make one flower pot.
Kieran & Miko stated there are some challenges learning to design and scale the flower pots
they accidently had one come out huge, they made star and oval shapes.
Alice, Daniel Camron & Tyler shared it was hard to make the bottom whole, but with a 3D
printer you can build whatever you want. Alice designed a Cat flower pot; she said the eyes &
ears were the hardest part.
The students brought in samples of the flower pots they had made and they were amazing.
I will admit I was so captured by these students, their interest in the project, and their ability to
give this presentation to the club and the project itself, I did not do so well with my notes,
apologies if I misspelled a name or left out any details.
I am proud Windsor Rotary supported this program; from the information Megan shared with
us this could grow to be a district wide program in the schools.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Bill Bolster thanked everyone that participated in the road cleanup, he stated they not only
picked up but sorted trash as well and the roads look great. The clean-up was followed by a
BBQ in Bill’s back yard, thanks to Diana Brabetz’s Chili and Jo Timmsen’s Red Dirty Rice they had
plenty to eat and did not have to fire up the BBQ.
It is Margarita time: Renee Hyde has some openings for volunteers, the first night of music on
the Green is this Thursday June 1 st , we will offering cocktails every Thursday through the
summer to support our International projects, it is a great place to spend an evening with
fellow Rotarians, have fun and be of service. Contact Renee: [email protected]
RYLA BBQ June 13 th , 11am Westminster Woods
If you would like to see RYLA in action, join a few Rotarians from Cloverdale & 60+ students for
a fun filled couple of hours in the woods, & of course lunch, contact Pegi Ball;
[email protected]. Youth Protection Training is required, but not really an obstacle, you will
be sent a link from Nayen.org, Training is done on line, and is good for 3 years.
Monica McCabe & Beth Smith PROJECT GRADUATION:
Volunteers need for different jobs during the week; 6/1-6/4, set-up, during the event and clean-
up the day after, contact Monica: [email protected]
20/30 Club looking for volunteers for KABOOM, fireworks and dinner July 3 rd , Keiser Park,
Windsor. Contact Brian Ling for information.
Windsor Chamber of Commerce Chili Cook Off coming in September, gives you time to perfect
your recipe.
Youth Exchange: We have a lovely young lady getting herself ready to join us in August, the
Williams have opened their home as her first host family and we have a third host family but in
need of the second host family, (first part of December to mid-March), it is a wonderful
experience and I promise creates lifelong relationships. If you are not able to host please share
with members of your church or neighbors, it is also a great opportunity to share Rotary with
the community.
Stefan our current Son and youth exchange student just continues to make us proud, not only
for the awards he has won for his math software, but his representation of Youth Exchange and
Rotary has been stellar. Stefan was invited to the Windsor School District Board meeting, and I
believe he was not aware he was going to be called upon to speak, but he never skipped a beat,
his presentation was great!
Maureen Merrill has been involved with Leadership Santa Rosa for many years and was a
participant in class 12 along with Ken Moulton. The community program sponsored by the
Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce is a program designed to identify, develop and equip
community leaders who will help create and support a spirit of cooperation for the resolution
of future community challenges
Maureen with the Windsor Chamber of Commerce is developing Leadership Windsor. The
program is scheduled to start in August and they are currently taking applications and
interviewing candidates. If you are interested in strengthening your leadership skill and
learning more about our community, contact Maureen Merrill:
[email protected].
Reminder: WE ARE DARK TUESDAY MAY 31 ST .
President Brian closed the meeting 8:30am