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Rotary Club of Martinsburg - Martinsburg WV / Grapevine  / January 30, 2014 – Meeting Roundup

January 30, 2014 – Meeting Roundup

by
Grapevine
January 29, 2014

sponaugle[1]

Be sure to come early this week as we are expecting a full house.
Erin Sponaugle, a fifth grade teacher in Berkeley County, is the 2014 West Virginia Teacher of the Year. State Superintendent Jim Phares made the announcement October 9, 2013, during a ceremony in Charleston that recognized county teachers of the year.
Erin Sponaugle is a 10-year veteran of the teaching profession and currently works at Tomahawk Intermediate School Middle School in Berkeley County. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Shepherd University and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from West Virginia University. As a fifth grade teacher, she earned her National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Certification for Middle Childhood Generalist and continues to serve as a Candidate Support Provider for colleagues pursuing NBPTS certification. She serves as the advisor of her school’s student council and school newspaper and organizes the school’s social studies fair. Sponaugle was awarded the Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award in 2013 and serves as a master mentor for new educators. She received the Honeywell Scholarship for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Teacher Academy in 2011 and was a Transatlantic Outreach Program Fellow in 2013. Sponaugle believes that every child deserves an exceptional teacher.
As West Virginia’s 2014 Teacher of the Year, Sponaugle will receive an educational technology package valued at nearly $15,000, use of a Toyota car for a year and cash awards from Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Horace Mann Insurance. Sponaugle was selected by a committee appointed by the state superintendent of schools to evaluate four finalists who were their county Teacher of the Year winners. Teacher of the Year, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, is the longest-running awards program honoring classroom teachers in the country, granting its first national award in 1952. West Virginia has participated in the program since 1964. She will speak to us about her year and what the future holds.
Also, this week, we will honor the Martinsburg High School AAA State Champion football team. This championship makes Martinsburg High School the first team in state history to win the AAA championship four times in a row. To put that into perspective, none of the students now in Martinsburg High have ever known what it is like not to win the state championship. Coach David Walker has taken the football program to heights that were never achieved before. He is the only coach at Martinsburg who has won a state football championship. Four in a row is an awesome achievement.

West Virginia Promise

West Virginia’s Promise-The Alliance for Youth is a statewide program that mobilizes partners across the state to strengthen the capacity of local communities to develop and support young people. It was started in 1998 by Gail Manchin. The goal of the West Virginia’s Promise is to continue to mobilize communities, raise awareness, and support policies that increase the support young people have in communities where they live, work, and play.

Cogwheels

Answer to last week’s question:
Four women have served as District Governor of our district—Ruth Longer, 1999-2000; Carol Walsh, 2001-2002; Kelly Wike, 2004-2005; and our present District Governor, Sharon Benner. All of the PDGs have remained very active in Rotary.
This week’s question:
How many of our club’s members qualify to be District Governor?  

The weather cancelled school, so there were no student guests. It’s supposed to be a balmy 31º and sunny this Thursday, so maybe we will have them this week.
Elaine Bartoldson, Director of Marketing for Pantran, was back as a guest of Mike Hite. Mike Hornby brought his long-suffering wife, Kresha who is co-owner of Around the Panhandle & Valley Homes & Style. Greg Smith, an Allstate agent with offices in Martinsburg and Frederick, was back as a guest of Manuel Washington.
The Taste of the Panhandle netted approximately $38,000 after expenses. It was our second largest fund raiser in history topped only by the fund raiser we had when Penny Porter was president. Best Buy donated $1,000 and provided five volunteers to help us with TOP, so a special thanks goes to them for their generosity.
We also wish to thank the following restaurants/vendors:

We ask that our members try and support these businesses throughout the year. We also thank all the committee members and sponsors for their support and hard work.
Ryan Perks won 50/50, but could not find the Ten of Diamonds. Instead, he will sell tickets this week.